Bible Devotions for Living

This life is God’s training camp for you. You see, when you were saved you became a newborn child of God (Jn 3:5-7; Jn 1:12; Gal 3:26) and just like any newborn you need to be trained. In this case, you are being trained by God to be like Jesus:

For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son … (Romans 8:29a)

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:18)

All training is hard, but this training will be harder because you are being changed from a sinful mess to be like the Lord Jesus. This is one of the main reasons the path of the saved through this life is an even harder road than for unbelievers:

… For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life … (Mt 7:13-14)

A lot must happen during your training to change your thoughts, words, heart, spirituality, compassion, love, and everything else about you to be more like Jesus. Picture yourself as a huge chunk of granite with ragged edges. Now imagine God as the Sculptor who works that hunk of granite into the image of His Son. As He chisels off a chunk of granite, it will be uncomfortable to you. As the rough edges are sanded down it will be uncomfortable. As the fine details are created it will be uncomfortable. That is how your training process will seem at times – hard and uncomfortable. God might use tools like trials, suffering, affliction, and even the devil at times to shape you into Christ’s image but don’t be afraid. God loves you and is sovereign over your testing and training:

Look, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. (Isa 48:10)

Jesus Himself was perfected through suffering (Heb 2:9-10) and will help you through it:

For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested. (Heb 2:18)

He knows your limits, and will not allow you to break:

He will not break a bruised reed, and He will not put out a smoldering wick (Mt 12:20)

He will bring you through it all:

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Ps 34:19)

I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Php 1:6)

When tough times come, think of them as tools in God’s hand to train and shape you into the image of Jesus. He is making you better through it all. Look to Him to stay strong through it all.

Summary

• You are a child of God (Jn 3:5-7; Jn 1:12; Gal 3:26)
• God trains His children to be more like Jesus (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18)
• God may use trials, temptations, sufferings as tools to train and shape you (Jms 1:2-4; 1 Pe; Mt 4:1-11)
• Training is not easy, even Jesus suffered when He was being perfected while here (Heb 2:9-10)
• God is sovereign over your training and in control (Isa 48:10)
• Jesus will help you through it (Heb 2:18)
• God knows your limits and will not allow you to break (Mt 12:20)
• God will bring your through it all (Ps 34:19; Php 1:6)

When life get tough, remember that God is training and shaping you to be more like Jesus through those difficulties. The believer road is tough, but it is tough for a great reason, and you’ll be happy when you see the results. Keep your eye on Him to stay strong.

As we move forward with this study, you will see that God’s training program is like most training programs with book learning, field training, tests, and rebukes (when needed).

²¹ After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, ²² strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:21-22)