God Is Always Training Us

PresbyCan Daily Devotional

In conversation a few days ago with my good friend, Pastor John, I asked him this question, "John, how do you handle all that life throws at you, especially in times of illness?" His response was immediate and heartfelt. "God is always training us for something greater."
My response to him was to research how we can receive this training that he mentioned. Let's think about it for a few moments and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal God's Word to us as found in this passage:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)

• First of all, we have to read and study our Bible faithfully.
• Secondly, we must listen to what God is saying to us as we read His Word.
• Thirdly, we must act on what God is asking us to do or not to do.
• Fourthly, we must be willing to be corrected and restored, and to live in harmony with God's will for our lives.
• Fifthly, we must be willing to be trained for something greater for His purposes and for His glory.

God's training in righteousness lasts for a lifetime. It can be rough, laborious, and strenuous. We will be challenged to the breaking point as we submit to His use of time and people and circumstances to sharpen us in self-control and patience. Just when we think that we have arrived spiritually, He asks us to love difficult people unconditionally, to accomplish His purposes on this earth.
This course begins the moment when we are saved and ends when we take our last breath. It does not qualify us for service outside the kingdom of God. It does not have a diploma that we can display. But we do get to hear from Him when we graduate, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:23a NIV) I hope that you are as excited as I am about being enrolled in this training in righteousness.
Wouldn't all of us who claim to be followers of His Son Jesus want this amazing training in our lives to be complete, to be full and fulfilled so that we can be all that God created us to be, and be thoroughly equipped for every good work? I do!
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. We pray that You would use Your Word today to make us complete and to equip us for good work in Your kingdom all day long. O God, we love You and we love Your Word, and we pray for its full effect in our lives. We pray that You would help us to share this Word with others. We want to hide Your Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against You as we are being trained in righteousness. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen!