"If God tortures us with ordeals again and again, we may reach a point when we lose faith in God’s mercy. Why does the merciful God subject us to endless acid tests?"

 Let me state that I am no spiritual guru.  I came across this question and was not convinced with the answer and so I wanted to express my perception in this context.

First of all, it is our own 'prarabdha karma' which brings about tricky / challenging situations, or 'ordeals' as some may call it.  Such a situation surely distresses the one who is undergoing the ordeal and often he questions 'why me?'  It is quite natural to be upset since human nature seeks pleasure and happiness always.  

However, wrongly assuming that it is God who inflicts this ordeal only leads to ill will against God.  He is only the witness to the web of grief that we weave around ourselves.  In the same way, He just witnesses the good and happy moments when we rejoice over pleasures.  At the time of joy , we too, most of the time, do not reach out to Him to share the happiness and joy.  But that does not change his perception of us at all. 

So if we reach a point when we lose faith in God, that really is no loss for the Almighty.  Is it your decision that henceforth you do not trust in the Almighty?  Alright, so be it, would be His stand.  Because He is to us what we think He is to us.  If we think 'He does not help me', He does not.  If we think that He is our refuge, then He is.  Everything is in our perception.  Since He is the Almighty, what loss is it to Him that we do not trust Him?  None.  He does not have to prove anything to anybody.  It was neither a gain when you trusted Him nor is it His loss when you choose not to trust Him.

Sri Ramadas of Bhadrachalam was imprisoned for 14 years.  Yes he was a devotee of Lord Rama.  But suffer he did for 14 long years.  He cried out to his beloved deity, but Rama rescued him only after he had fulfilled his karmic actions.

We are no Ramadas of Bhadrachalam, but the life of such saints make for a great example to us.

However in this scheme of things,  in this 'karma-cycle', there is one undeniable factor called His Mercy.  Without any reason whatsoever, He chooses to shower His kindness on us.  So when stuck in the mire of ordeals, all that is in our power to do is to call out for His help, and He will definitely rescue us.

"अव्याजकरुणायाम् तु प्रसिद्धो वेङ्कटेश्वरः"

 It is only He who gives us the mind, after all, to seek out His help.