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.

Trustworthy Truths

"The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds." Psalm 145:15-17

Kari Beougher

Whenever I am tempted to be discontent about where the Lord has me, or long for Him to do something new in my life, I am comforted by the truths in this passage.
  
The eyes of all look to You- I love this reminder about what a great God we serve. Truly all of creation is dependent upon Him for life. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

 You give them their food in due time- My favorite part about this verse is "in due time." It doesn't just say that God is Provider-though He is. It also shows His sovereignty and perfect timing. God knows what we need and is faithful to provide it for us...at the proper time.

 You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing- It is in Christ that true satisfaction is found. He is the Giver of all good gifts, and only in Him can true fulfillment be found.

 The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds- God's plan can be fully trusted. He is righteous and kind in all that He does.

What are you longing for today? Are you discouraged? You can trust in the care, providence, and faithfulness of our God. Rest in the knowledge that He is Sovereign over all creation, His timing is perfect, and His ways are kind.

In the Light

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us form all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, New American Standard Bible).

If you rub your hands on a newspaper, then what happens? Usually, it makes my hands smeared with black ink. When we sin, our hearts are marked up by it. We are further from God because of it, because He is holy. 

In this verse and the verses surrounding it (1 John 1:5-10), we learn that God is light. As believers who have turned from sin and seek to live life with the holy God, we also seek to walk in the light. Sin separates us from God, yet He still desires for us to come closer. Remember how He loved us while we were still trapped in sin (Romans 5:8)? Jesus was sent to die for our sins so that God's wrath on the sin would be paid.

Therefore, as believers, we are forgiven and are under grace (Romans 6:14). Yet, in our relationship with God, we must still confess the sin that He sees and turn from it, so this relationship will strengthen (Romans 6:15). God is faithful to forgive us from those sins.

So, God not only walks in the light, but also desires for us to walk in it as well.  When we turn to God, turn away from sin that threatens to damage us, and ask for forgiveness, it is like He washes hands that have been covered in newspaper ink. We are made new, as white as freshly fallen snow. Jesus came into the world, after all, to save us from lives marred from sin, so we would have the chance to be in a mended relationship with God (Titus 2:11-14).

Lord, thank You for sending Your Son to the world, and thank You for Your forgiveness. Give us hearts that ache to be made right with You and follow You, so that Your Spirit can continue its work through us. Help us to share the power of Your forgiveness with someone else this week. Amen.

"Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7, NASB).

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

Hunger and Thirst

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6, New American Standard Bible). 

After a long hike, it's common to crave fruit, water, granola or something to satisfy thirst and hunger. I remember hiking with some friends in Tennessee this past summer, and we were relieved to find a rest spot to try to open a bag of dried fruit someone had brought (we tried, because the bag was stubbornly refusing to open for a while). Yet, more than food or water, we are made to need God and to have a relationship with Him. God gives forgiveness to us while we are still sinners, when we confess our sins, believe in His Son as our Savior, and turn to Him to lead us.

God desires to and has the ability to satisfy our hunger and to quench our thirst. He takes the first initiative, as He reaches out to save, teach, lead, and transform us. Revelation 3:20 says, "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will dine with him, and he with Me'" (NASB).  

As we seek to follow God, it helps to remember that God speaks to His people and gives assurance of His words. He does that through the Bible and the Holy Spirit. In His Word, we can learn from the past how He spoke through the prophets and through Jesus, His Son (John 13:15). Plus, we have the most excellent teacher in the divine Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

As we experience this relationship with God, with getting to know Him more, He transforms us and helps us follow Him.  Of course, we are not God, so we will continually need His instruction, wisdom, and grace. Let us ask God what He wants us to learn or do today, and let us remember that He is gracious to forgive us and to continue to help us along the way. 

Lord, as believers, we trust You and want to obey You. Give us hearts that hunger and thirst for You more than anything else. Help us live as witnesses to who You are, for Your glory and honor. Amen.

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

The Holy Spirit and the desperado

"'But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 
And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 
concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 
and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 
and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged'" (John 16:7-11, New American Standard Bible).

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit" (1 Peter 3:18, New American Standard Bible).

Have you heard the song "Desperado" by the Eagles? The illustration to the left is of the band, by Mark Stutzman (from www.rollingstone.com). The word "desperado" means criminal, but it reminds me of old stories about cowboys in the American wild west. I could be way off in my interpretation, but the desperado described seems to be about someone who seeks freedom by living apart from people and love (you can find the lyrics here, at azlyrics.com).

As believers, the Holy Spirit points out sin that separates us from God (John 16:8-11). The purpose of  conviction is to help us see our need for a healed relationship with God, our Creator, Savior, and King. God loves us, and Jesus paid the price for sin already. The hope is that we come to Him for forgiveness, restoration, and a closer relationship with Him.

1 Peter 3:18 explains that the end goal for the convicting is to make us alive in the Spirit. Is there some part of your life that is away from God? God wants us to desire Him more than sin and then put our trust in Him and His lead.

Lord, thank You for loving us enough to want to bring us back to Your presence, even when we sin. Convict us; help us see where we need more of You. May the Holy Spirit convict others, too, so they can also know and trust in You. Amen.

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

We pray they believe and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation" (Romans 10:9-10, New American Standard Bible).

Do you know anyone who has been adopted? In the past few years, I have gotten close to a few families who have adopted children. It has been inspiring and a joy to see people love each other as family, even when they are not family by blood.

Adoption is a great reflection of how God loves those who receive His call to be a part of His family. God already loves us, His creation. Do we know someone who has not yet received His invitation to lead us as the good and loving Father God?

John 1:12 explains, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (New American Standard Bible). God, most holy and righteous, sent His Son to die a death we deserve to die. If we receive His invitation by turning to Him and trusting in Him, then we are invited into His family, His protection, and His presence. His love and mercy draws us to Him and puts us in awe.

Lord, this person on our mind who does not know You, please help them believe in You and Your Son, Jesus. Help them believe in You and confess their sins, so they can have a mended relationship with You. We pray they confess and believe, so they, too, will be a part of Your family.

More verses on this: Matthew 10:32, John 5:24, John 20:31, Romans 10:13, Joel 2:32
Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from stlfamilylife.com.

Bringing truth into focus

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment... But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come" (John 16:8, 13, New American Standard Bible).

A camera lens, like the one recycled to make into owl eyes in the photo above, helps bring things into focus. Owls can see in three dimensions - height, width, and depth - and their eyes are efficient in processing light. Similarly, a camera lens is made to capture what is true and in front of the photographer. As believers, the Holy Spirit is there to help us process God, His will, and to reveal to us what sort of relationship God wishes to have with His people.

Who is the Holy Spirit? Matthew Henry once wrote, "Bodily presence drew eyes, but the Spirit draws hearts" (Matthew Henry Commentary). Jesus drew much attention, but the Holy Spirit heals our hearts. The Holy Spirit is a part of who God is; He is a part of the Holy Trinity. He convicts, comforts, and teaches truth.

Similar to the owl's eyes at night, the Holy Spirit helps bring the truth of God into focus. He reveals truth about God, and He helps us see the guilt of all people because of our rebellion against God and His will (1 Corinthians 2:10). As we accept Christ as Savior of our lives, the Spirit abides in us (John 14:17). Sent by the Father and the Son, He will teach us and bring to mind things God has taught us (John 14:26, John 15:26). Let us pray that the Holy Spirit helps an unbeliever on our mind see His truth.

Lord, work within us through the Holy Spirit. Please work in the life of someone on our mind who does not know You. Help convict us of sin and help us see truth that comes from You. Amen.

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