Hebrews 12:8-11 MSG My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s
discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he
disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you;
that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This
trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of
children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would
you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and
not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While
we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing
what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time,
discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain.
Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find
themselves mature in their relationship with God.
I like the way the Message translates this scripture. I know
that once we grow up we tend to resist discipline. We want to be in charge. We have bosses at
work and for some our parents still exert a degree of influence. We have to
live in compromise with our spouse. Where we can we want to be in control. But
God often has other ideas. If you’ve
never felt God’s discipline, you might want to work harder to be in
relationship with God. It might not be
fun to have God trip you up in front of others but it is a good feeling that
God loves you enough to help you walk the best path by correcting you.
Holy God, thank you so much for your discipline. We know you
want the best for us. Help us to lower
our resistance and to follow your lead.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Have a great day,
Paige
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