People say things like "She's really going through a test" or "That family has had one trial after another".  Are these two things the same? What does each of these words mean?

Trial   Think of a courtroom where a trial is going on.  What do you see in your mind's eye?  Do you see the judge and the attorneys and the defendant?  Do you see the media?  Do you see.......the public?  That's the key to understanding the use of the word trial.  When we are given a trial or are tried by God it is a very public thing.  People around us know about it like our family members and our church family.

Test   For this word, think of a classroom.  Now what do you see?  Do you see a teacher or proctor?  Do you see several students sitting at desks with their sharpened No. 2 pencils ready?  Do you hear the teacher say, "You may open your tests and begin, but keep your eyes on your own papers"?  That is the key!  A test is something that only you see; it is personal and private.

Sometimes God gives us trials like when we lose a job or when we have a serious illness or death in our family. At other times He gives us personal tests like when we are struggling to control jealousy in our heart or when our child's attitude is grating on our nerves and we are tempted to lose our temper.  Both kinds of situations come from God and are designed to strengthen us in some way....just sometimes privately and sometimes publicly.