"How God Trains His Workers The Lord disciplines His workers, that they may be prepared to fill the places appointed them. He desires to fit them to do more acceptable service. There are those who wish to be a ruling power, and who need the sanctification of submission. God brings about a change in their lives. Perhaps He places before them duties that they would not choose. If they are willing to be guided by Him, He will give them grace and strength to perform these duties in a spirit of submission and helpfulness. Thus they are being qualified to fill places where their disciplined abilities will make them of great service. GW 269"
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."
The EGW passage directly echoes the sentiment of Hebrews 12:6 regarding God's discipline as an act of love and preparation.
"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
Both passages discuss the idea of being perfected through trials and difficulties. The EGW passage speaks of being 'qualified' through disciplined abilities, while James speaks of patience leading to being 'perfect and entire.'
"Some God trains by bringing to them disappointment and apparent failure. It is His purpose that they shall learn to master difficulties. He inspires them with a determination to prove every apparent failure a success. Often men pray and weep because of the perplexities and obstacles that confront them. But if they will hold the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end, God will make their way clear. Success will come as they struggle against apparently insurmountable difficulties and with success will come the greatest joy. GW 269.2"
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward."
The EGW passage directly references holding 'the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end,' which is a clear allusion to Hebrews 10:35 and its encouragement not to cast away confidence.
"A life of monotony is not the most conducive to spiritual growth. Some can reach the highest standard of spirituality only through a change in the regular order of things. When in His providence God sees that changes are essential for the success of the character-building, He disturbs the smooth current of the life. He sees that a worker needs to be more closely associated with Him; and to bring this about, He separates him from friends and acquaintances. When He was preparing Elijah for translation, God moved him from place to place, that the prophet might not settle down at ease, and thus fail of gaining spiritual power. And it was God's design that Elijah's influence should be a power to help many souls to gain a wider, more helpful experience. GW 269.3"
"And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook."
The EGW passage uses the example of Elijah being moved from place to place to illustrate how God sometimes disrupts routines to foster spiritual growth. This directly parallels the biblical account of God instructing Elijah to go to the brook Cherith.