Do Not Despise the Discipline of the Almighty

"For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." Hebrews 12:10-11

No child I have ever met enjoys being disciplined. I certainly did not. I remember as a young child my parents explaining to me that they had to punish me because they loved me. This seemed completely contradictory to my finite mind...how could discipline be loving? At 24 years old, I am extremely grateful for the times my parents disciplined me and showed me right from wrong. It truly did train and teach me how to live righteously.

After my senior year of college, I went through an extremely difficult season where the Lord graciously upset all of my plans and taught me dependence on Him. At the time, it did not feel joyful, but very sorrowful. And yet, at the end of that year, I remember reading in Psalm 119 and being able to fully agree with the psalmist, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. You are good and do good...It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes." Psalm 119:67-68; 71.

It was through the affliction and discipline of the Lord that I came to truly know Him. It was through a season of sorrow that produced in me the "peaceful fruit of righteousness." What a beautiful truth to know that God disciplines us for our good, to share in His holiness, and to produce in us the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Today, may we allow ourselves to be trained by the Lord and trust that His ways are loving and for our good. 


"Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal." Job 5:17-18.

Under the Influence

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18, New American Standard Bible).

Do you have a craving? I have a craving for coffee. Although, that is normal for me. If you scroll through any website, you likely will see an advertisement that says it will satisfy some sort of craving or desire. Desires can be important to notice, because they can influence our hearts, minds, and actions.

Our Creator God is the source of life, and He desires to fill us with the Holy Spirit. When someone first believes in and turns to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit enters their life and can work in them and through them. God can bring joy into life that lasts through whatever circumstance, because it is fixed on the unchanging character of God. We can have faith that we are now and forever a part of His family. As believers, we are not exempt from challenges, pain, or sorrow, but we find the greatest hope there is in Jesus.

Now, I confess that I am not resolved to give up coffee. I do pray, though, that my ultimate satisfaction is continually rooted in God and His Son who redeemed me. The Holy Spirit, sent from God and His Son, can fill us up with contentment in Him as we trust in our Faithful Redeemer.

Lord, thank You for filling us up with the Holy Spirit. Help us continue to find satisfaction in You, and help us share with others the joy we find from being with You. Amen.

"Delight yourself in the LORD..." (Psalm 37:4, NASB).

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from skreened.com.

In His Image

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12, New American Standard Bible). 

When I first read about the camera feature pictured, I thought it was pretty brilliant. The idea is that you cut a heart shape out of a piece of paper, then attach it to the camera lens. When you take a picture, the result is the photo is in the image of a heart.

We are created in God's image, so God could be able to shine through us. In our sin, that image is skewed. When we turn to follow Him, He forgives us of those sins and makes us new. As believers, we seek to be more like Christ, and this happens with God's power. When Paul wrote "put on" in verse 12, he explained that our new identities, as believers, take shape as we come to know Christ more (see Colossians 1:15, 2:1-3).

We can see God's likeness come to light when He grows believers in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, gentleness, and patience. This is a process, as we grow in our relationship with Him. We are given righteousness, not because of our own doing, but because of God's sacrifice for us. God genuinely, passionately loves His creation (John 3:16, Romans 8:32, Titus 3:4, 1 John 4:9, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30, Galatians 2:20).

God asks us to be holy, because He is holy. As followers of Him, we are called to live in the world, yet driven by Christ's lead. We are called out to follow Him, not only to be saved ourselves and to be a part of His family, but also to serve others and to love the world with the love and grace He shows us. We can be witnesses who live out the love of Christ.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.thespohrsaremultiplying.com.

We pray for holiness

"Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification that without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14, New American Standard Bible).

With this verse, we can see how God calls us not only to turn to Him, but also to follow Him. As we seek to be holy, we seek to live lives that reflect Him. Now, it is easy for us to see how imperfect we are. Yet, we serve a God who is holy, so we pray to God for the strength to be more like Him, so that others may see the change He is making in us everyday.

The Israelites are a great example of how God loves His people. They would turn to God for direction, and God asked them to be a holy nation that lives differently since God is their leader. We can read how God blessed them and helped them see how to live lives that are different in a way that honors Him. They fell into sin, though, just like we have done. God sent them into exile, but He did not leave them. He taught them over time who He was and who He created them to be.

The neat thing is that now, we have been given Christ as an example of who God is and how we are to live on earth. He has given those who believe in and receive His call to turn to Him the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity, God three in one - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - are all a part of who God is. He is our Creator and He already loves us, but He can make us into more and more of a reflection of Him. There is the hope that the more we reflect God, our Savior and life-changer, that others will see God and want to know Him, too.

Lord, please make us more and more like You. Lead us in how we can be holy so others see You and the change You can make in a life. Thank You for Your word and Your sacrfice. Please help us live for You today. Amen.

The above devotion is based on the verse meant to be studied from HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (1999, Jaye Martin).