Daily devotion – the chastening of the Lord in our lives.
Hebrews 12: 5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 For the LORD disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.
The key word in this unique passage is the word ‘chastening’. It’s a Greek word that means “child training, instruction, discipline”.
Every Greek boy was expected to ‘work out’ in the gymnasium until he reached maturity. And here we are today thinking we invented 24 hours gyms! This training was to be part of the child’s preparation to live the adult life.
Here in Hebrews, the writer, who I believe is the Apostle Paul, viewed the trials of our Christian life as spiritual discipline that could help us mature.
No one likes discipline or chastening but without it we only end up as spoilt brats and the world is full of such now at all ages is it not?
I know in my own walk with God that I have needed and received the ‘chastening of the Lord’. Not pleasant at the time, but I know full well that I both needed it and deserved it. The Lord’s discipline on my life is still ongoing by the way!
Now when trials, or brick walls, or difficulties come across my path, I don’t shirk them but instead acknowledge them that I need them from God and He is showing His constant love for me by allowing them in my life. They show me that He cares for me and He wants me to be the man of God He intended me to be – all grown up!
So, this week, instead of trying to escape the difficulties of life, we should rather be ‘exercised’ by them so that we may grow – 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
When we are suffering, it is easy to think that God does not love us. So the writer gave us proofs that chastening comes from the Father’s heart.
Today read through this passage and find those three proofs and know that the love of God is being displayed to us in ways which when we were immature, we were ignorant of. But now as we grow through God’s chastening, we understand and they put a whole new meaning as to why we are going through a trial!