In moments of desperation, we cry out to God, “If you really love me, fix this!” Whether spoken aloud or held in our hearts, don’t we all sometimes wrestled with doubt?

The Israelites did. In the wilderness, they find themselves thirsty and without a drop of water. Is the Lord among us or not? Give us water to drink! (Exodus 17:1-7)

Have they forgotten the parted sea that enabled their escape and the Egyptian army who drowned?

Have they forgotten the 10th plague that killed every firstborn Egyptian male but spared the Jews?

Have they forgotten the other 9 plagues God spared them from?

Despite all God had done to rescue them, they doubt His intentions. They’re thirsty and want reassurance of His goodness. Proof. If God is for them, why are they suffering? Can they trust Him?

They accuse God, Did you bring us out here to die? You say you’re with us, but you don’t really care. (Ex 17:1-7, my paraphrase) Moses warns them not to test God.

Like the Israelites, we’ve seen God’s goodness—provisions, protection, answered prayers—but when trials come, we forget. Why does it seem easier to grumble over difficulties than to celebrate blessings? The Red Sea moments fade, and all we see is the wilderness before us.

Unlike the Israelites, Jesus does not demand signs from God. He trusts without needing proof.

Satan tempts

When Satan approaches Jesus in the wilderness, He is weak, tired, hungry, and thirsty. He first tempts Jesus to use his divine power to satisfy his hunger. “If you are the Son of God” (Matthew 1:1-4) (which God pronounced 40 days prior at Jesus’ baptism), end your suffering. Jesus resists. He knows God will provide at exactly the right time.

Satan persists

In a vision, Satan places Jesus on the highest point of the temple:
“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
(Matthew 4:5-6, Psalm 91:11-12)

If you are the Son of God… If—a telltale sign of temptation, of questioning God’s word. Satan tempts Jesus to test God rather than trust Him. Satan used the same questioning with Adam and Eve in the Garden, “did God really say…?” (Genesis 3)

God has proven His faithfulness

Jesus, too, responds with God’s word, “It is also written, do not put the Lord to the test.” (Matthew 4:7)

Jesus quotes Moses’ best-known speech whose opening lines became the Shema, a prayer all Jews recited 2-3 times a day:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-12)

And verse 16:

Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.
(Deuteronomy 6:16)

The brief line, ‘Do not put the Lord to the test’, surely summoned Moses entire well-known instructions as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land.

In summary, love and trust God with your whole being. Weave God’s commands into the fabric of life—talk about them when you sit, walk, lie down and get up. Teach your children. And when you become affluent, don’t forget who gave you this life. Don’t test His loyalty. You have sufficient evidence of His faithfulness. (Deuteronomy 6:4-12)

Trust is a recurring theme in Jesus’ wilderness tests. Why?

Because Jesus will need to fully trust God’s good will as He endures the cross.

Remember God’s Faithfulness

There’s no need for us to test God’s faithfulness—He has already demonstrated His abundant love time and time again. From the beauty of creation to the food on the table, His goodness surrounds us. Yet, in difficult times, we easily forget.

That’s why gratitude is so powerful. A heart that remembers God’s goodness is a heart that trusts Him for the future.

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude takes practice. Notice your blessings. Recognize God’s gifts. Take a moment every day to write down how you’ve seen God’s goodness. Over time, you’ll begin to see His hand all around you.

Take a moment to reflect:

• List 5 specific blessings in your life that you know are from God.
• Consider a time when you faced a hardship—how did God carry you through?
• Think about your talents and passions—how has God uniquely gifted you to impact your family or community?
• Start a daily gratitude journal today. List 2-3 things you’re grateful for.

When we intentionally recall God’s goodness,
trust grows and sustains us through difficulties.
Instead of asking, “God, do you love me?”
we begin to declare, “Wow God, your love is amazing!”

Let’s choose gratitude to cultivate a more confident faith.

Read more:
What’s the difference between a test and a temptation?
How the forbidden tree in the Garden represents trust. 
Trust grows with each small step of faith.

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