My Lord trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war

"Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle,
my fingers for war."  (Psalm 144: 1)

My God is my teacher.  He trains in the art of spiritual warfare.   I must endeavor to be a very docile student.

But why does my Teacher teach me?

"You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?
If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards.
Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not [then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live?
They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness.
At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.
So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees."  (Hebrews 12: 5 - 12)

"Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent."  (Revelation 3: 19)

By what method does my Teacher teach me?  Divine pedagogy is pervasive and could be stressful.  It is at the same time teaching and continuous testing.  The goal is for you to score 100% like Jesus Christ.

"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  (James 1: 2 - 4)

The lessons are many and hard.  The core of the curriculum includes:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.h Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  Matthew 5: 3 - 10)

When does my Teacher?

Always and Everywhere.  Using all Circumstances.

"Grant O Lord, that I too may learn to turn all the circumstances and events of my life into occasions of loving you and serving the Church, the Pope and all souls with joy and simplicity; lighting up the pathways of this earth with faith and love."  [St Josemaria Escriva]