seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Hebrews 12:4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
This is from the commentary.God deals with you as sons: A fundamental fact of the believer’s relationship with God is that He is to His people as a loving, good father is to a son or daughter. Some have trouble receiving this because they never knew a loving, good human father in their own experience. Yet, even these can still receive the love of God the Father.
But rather be healed: The pictures here (strengthened hands and knees, “straight-ahead” feet) speak of readiness to work and move for Jesus and His kingdom. This readiness is first to go when one surrenders to discouragement.
My dad was in the Navy. He had five kids by the time he retired, so he also worked a second job. My mom was the disciplinarian. My mom loved to discipline. She loved listening to the switch whistle in the air. She loved seeing us jump. I turned her in for beating my brother. But she was doing what she thought was best. After all there were five of us and one of her. She was a good Christian woman. Her mother was a great Christian woman, and she was also a great disciplinarian, a mother of seven. My dad only disciplined me once... and he damn near beat me to death. So, I'm thankful for the mercy my mom showed, even though it would be judged to be severe these days.Sometimes it feels like God is beating us. Sometimes it feels like Satan and God are betting on whether we can make it through the next bad thing and come out a great Christian.
There is a new dog in the neighborhood. He's only four months old and he's already three feet tall. If he leaps up, he can look right into his owner's eyes. She tries to discipline him... but he's too young... too excited... and too anxious to spread the love [slobber] all over anyone who comes within 20 feet. She does all she can do to discipline him. He drags her around like a puppet! Right now, he's winning, but there is some training taking hold. He now responds to "stop" and "sit".... for a second and then he says "I sat, now you come and pet me... pet me.... pet me... scratch my ears... pet me! I sat... now pet me".
To God, we must be like that new dog.
We're just lucky God's not a disciplinary like my mom or dad. If God slings a switch in the air, it's generally an oak tree in a tornado!
If God let us all just jump up on everyone, which some zealous Christians do, without any discipline... it would require quite the repeat of Sodom to clean up the mess we would make.
God corrects us because He loves us.
God corrects us.
