Read: Psalm 144:1

In the army, a soldier undergoes rigorous training before he can step into the battlefield. David praises God for training his hands for war and his fingers for battle (Ps. 144:1), as he was a shepherd before becoming a soldier.  Similarly, in the spiritual realm, a follower of Christ has to undergo training before s/he steps against the devil. God trains us to be in His Word to encounter the wiles of the evil one. When we are feeling discouraged, God’s Word shields us against the discouraging thoughts caused by the devil.

God trained Moses for 40 years in the wilderness after he ran away from Egypt. His 40 years of experience as a shepherd gave him the training required to lead the Israelites for another 40 years till they reached the promised land Canaan.

Jesus trained His disciples who were from different professions about the kingdom of God. After Jesus’ resurrection, on the day of Pentecost, people were astonished to hear Peter and John preach. Even though these men were fishermen by trade, their wisdom revealed that they were with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

Sometimes the difficulties we face are part of God’s training. 1 Cor. 3:9 says that we are fellow labourers together with God, we are God’s husbandry, God’s building. He is equipping us to be fruitful workers in His vineyard.