What are God’s training methods in your life? The Lord has creative ways to train us in order to prepare us for His purpose. He teaches us new skills, a new attitude, and a new way of interacting with people. God uses time, circumstances, and people to sharpen us in self-control and patience. Just when we think we have arrived spiritually, He asks us to love the difficult people unconditionally. God’s training ground can be rough, arduous, and strenuous!
God’s preparation includes “what to do” as well as “what not to do”. We can learn from other people’s wisdom, love, and patience; these individuals inspire us to do better. On the other hand, we can learn from those who cause hurt, rejection, or oppression among the sheep. Through them, God instructs us not to imitate them. Our challenge is when we are faced with these tough people, not get appalled nor get offended by the person. If we love them dearly, we’ll have a tendency to justify their actions. If we can see it for what it is, then we can learn “what not to do”.
God used a variety of methods, people, and circumstances to prepare the Biblical characters for the work of service in His kingdom and to accomplish His purpose on the earth. I will share about some of them in the next couple of devotionals.
Ruth through Naomi’s faith- (Ruth 1-4)
Ruth became a widow at a young age who was also barren with no children from the marriage. She was a Moabite who did not know God but learned about the Lord from her mother-in-law Naomi. While Ruth had a disappointing beginning, she did not doubt Naomi’s God.
After the passing of all the men in the household, Ruth chose to go with Naomi to her homeland, and serve her mother-in-law without any expectation for her future. She wasn’t following a dream. She just loved Naomi and Naomi’s God. She was following a woman who had been a great example of faith to her.
Ruth chose to serve her mother-in-law without the fear of sacrificing her future. She came as a servant in the field of Boaz, and she gleaned in his fields as a poor person. Ruth didn’t have much to hang on to, but she anchored her faith in Naomi’s God. The Lord in turn used her mother-in-law and Boaz to bless her with marriage, a home, and a baby. God provided for her needs and desires! Her son was the grandfather of King David.
Samuel through Eli’s flawed leadership (1 Samuel 1-16)
Hannah brought her son Samuel and dedicated him to the temple to be trained and raised by Eli. Eli was the priest and a judge, and he knew God’s voice. On the other hand, Eli’s sons were wicked. Over the years, while Eli and his sons were priests of the Lord, Eli had not shown leadership in correcting or restraining his sons. They committed sin and unlawful practices as a lifestyle at the temple.
Samuel was trained at an early age to hear God’s voice under Eli’s leadership. He also learned that just because Eli heard and discerned God’s voice well, it didn’t mean that he led well as a father or a priest; Eli’s household was out of order. These circumstances prepared Samuel for what was coming next. He became the messenger of a strong prophetic word that God sent to Eli about his sons!
While Samuel learned how to hear God’s voice well through Eli, he did not idolize him. When the time came that God had a message to deliver to Eli, he could have said to the Lord, “I owe my life and my ministry to this man. Could you pick someone else to deliver this word?”. On the contrary, Samuel delivered the powerful and potent message in its entirety!
Samuel learned to have a realistic view of leadership over the years. He was willing to place Saul in leadership when God asked him to do it. When Saul became rebellious, he was able to move on and anoint David as the next king.
Samuel had learned to lean on God and hear his voice well. He also had matured to the realization that whether he is under a priest or a king, every one of them is only human; respect the position but don’t revere the person! He was able to discern the good and the bad in their leadership. He stayed objective and open to God’s leading, and as a result he remained useful for God’s purpose through his years of service!
What method is God using right now to train you? Are there individuals who inspire and challenge you with their integrity and love? Are you frustrated or disheartened by the difficult people around you? Are you able to see the benefit of the experience even when it’s hard?