Why does God test His people?

God will put His people to a test to prove them to see if they are truly willing to follow Him in all things (Exodus 20:20).  God has tested many people throughout the Bible to see how much they love Him and how far they are willing to go to obey Him.  Abraham is a prime example.  God tested Abraham by having him offer up Isaac as a sacrifice.  This was done to see if Abraham loved Isaac more than God and to test Abraham’s faithfulness (Genesis 22:12).  It is important to note that God does not tempt people to sin but tests them to prove righteousness (James 1:13).  After we have passed the test we can sing praise to God for proving us and showing us that we are truly dedicated to following Him (Psalm 66:8-10).