Training for Life - Pt 1

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. (Exodus 1:8-14 ESV).

I confess that I am easily amused. There are often those times when I’ll be scrolling through one of the social media sites skipping over anything that is political and lingering on those that are inspirational and amusing. I came across the picture I’ve included today with the subtext of “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” It originally came from an aphorism of the 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It has been translated into English and quoted in several variations, but is generally used as an affirmation of resilience. The Scripture agrees. We see it in the history of Israel before Moses delivered them from their lives of slavery in Egypt. I must admit my first reaction to this truth is that there has to be a better way to get an education. However, the truth remains, because God often uses suffering and hardship to shape and train people for life and mission. The yet-to-be-organized nation of Israel lived through deep suffering as the Egyptians ruthlessly subjected them to slavery. While we don’t see the specific things they learned from their experience, we do see clearly that they learned that life under Pharaoh was not a good life. That lesson would prepare them for life under a new master, the God of Abraham. God would not only rescue them from slavery but set them up with an important mission in the land he had promised to Abraham (cf. Genesis 15:12-21). In the coming days I will draw your attention to Moses, whom God chose to lead that nation. He too would suffer, and God would use Moses’ suffering to train him for his leadership role. God used other things to train Moses as well. However, Moses’ education will lead us to reflect on how God trains us for what will come in our life and how we can serve him. Today, be intention about the education you are receiving. God is not merely teaching us a lesson, He is teaching us life. It is a life of trust and faith that perfectly prepares us for eternal life. Embrace your education!