The Father’s Discipline

Today’s devotional writer, Art Toombs is new to us. Before we dig in, check out his archives of scriptures covered in past posts, you never know when you might need it. His website is Art Toombs Ministries – Online Bible Commentary. To read today’s sample at source, and then look around the site, click the title below.

The Lord Disciplines those He Loves

Hebrews 12:5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “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 those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. (NIV)

The writer of Hebrews is addressing Hebrew Christians, encouraging them in their walk with God. Of course, these words are meant for all Christians, because we all face hardships in life. God does not want the hardships of life to pull us away from Him. So, in this passage he gives us some insights into the nature of hardships and how we should respond to them.

The writer begins by reminding us of “that word of encouragement” (v. 5a) in verses 5b-6, which are taken from Proverbs 3:11-12. The literal Greek translation for these verses is as follows: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint while being corrected; for whom the Lord loves He disciplines; and whips every son whom He receives.” To us, this probably does not sound like encouragement. No one chooses to be disciplined, or whipped for that matter.

But this is a picture of God’s correction for his children. Our Creator knows us best and knows the discipline that will achieve the desired result. He is not politically correct. God cares little for the rules of man, when they do not align with His word. Here He endorses whipping as a correction for children. God’s age of accountability is about twelve years old, so this would seem to be the age that such discipline is no longer warranted.

Also, we should not despise the one who disciplines us because he only disciplines us because he loves us. Contrary to the thinking of the PC crowd, we show our love for our children by disciplining our children, not by refraining from discipline. Physical discipline should be a part of that discipline, but only until the age of accountability.

The Lord disciplines adults, as our Father in Heaven. But discipline of adults usually comes in other forms. Physical discipline gives way to discipline of consequences. Adults face hardship, which is a consequence of sin. Our hardship may be a result of our own sin or it may be a result of living in a sinful world.  God allows hardships in our lives in order to discipline us. He disciplines us in order to refine us, to make us better. Through hardship he shapes us into being a child of God.

We should “endure” this hardship “as discipline” (v. 7a). We should understand that God is disciplining us. He is refining us. He is making us better, stronger. He is treating us “as sons” (v. 7b). He is allowing discipline because he loves us, as His son, or daughter.

God loves everyone, and wants no one to be lost, separated from Him. Therefore, “everyone undergoes discipline” (v. 8). The rain falls on everyone. God “sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteousness” (Mt. 5:45). Everyone suffers hardships in their life. It is God’s way of correcting us, and showing His love for us.

Hopefully, we learn from our hardships. Hopefully, we are wise enough to know that we must fall in line with God’s ways of doing things if we want things to turn out right. Hopefully, we will reach a point in our lives when God does not allow hardship.

But nothing is guaranteed. We do not know the amount of refining that God wants for each of us. He may have different things in store for some, and choose to allow more refining of them. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord” (Isa 55:8).

Whatever the case, we should never resent God for His discipline. He allows it because He loves us. The alternative would be that He does not love us. None of us should want that. So we should rejoice in our hardships, knowing that God is working on us because he loves us. And no matter what, He is always there with us in the midst of our hardships. He has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us. And He always keeps His promises.

Why Trials Come: Two Reasons

Today’s article was submitted by Kimberly David who blogs at Excellent Way. The original links in this story take you to a site which now contains spyware and had to be removed. [Feb, 2018]

“Life is pain…Anyone who tells you differently is selling something.”
-Westley, The Princess Bride

We all know life hurts.  While at times we may enjoy the sunshine of the mountain peaks, we are bound to spend some time in the dark valleys too.  Thankfully we have a promise:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

God promises to bring everything together for our good, for our benefit…if we love Him.  But what benefit can be derived from pain?  How can trials and suffering be good?  What reason does God have to bring difficulty into His children’s lives?  This past week or so, I’ve been contemplating two key reasons for trials and suffering.

1. God Uses Trials and Suffering to Prove Us

The book of Job is an amazing case study for trials intended for proving us.  In Job 1, we see Satan coming to account for himself before God.  While he is there, God offers up a challenge of sorts:

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
Job 1: 8

And thus the gauntlet is thrown, for Satan is sure no man would serve God without ample compensation.  After all, Job was wealthy, healthy, and happy.  Why shouldn’t he serve God?  But what would he do stripped of all the fruffery and “extra comforts” of this life?  Would he still serve God?

The next eighteen verses lay out the destruction of all that Job held dear.  In these few verses we read about the loss of Job’s livestock, his children, and eventually his health.  His reaction in Job 1:21 still amazes me:

“Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

The rest of the book is a revelation of hearts.  We see Jobs heart as he grieves in silence with his friends.  We see his friends’ hearts as they strive to encourage Job to a just life.  In the end, we get a rare glimpse of Heaven, as God speaks to Job himself, revealing His heart and His power.

The book of Job is a prime example of God using trials and suffering to prove us.  The trials put in Job’s life revealed/proved the nature of Job’s heart.  Job’s heartache proved that his devotion to God was not dependent upon pleasant circumstances.

Trials and suffering have a unique ability to bring out the true nature of our hearts.  Pressure and pain reveal the hidden darkness and sin, or the deep foundation of a true dependence on the Lord.  When we know the true state of our heart, we are better prepared to submit to the cleansing, perfecting guidance of the Lord.

In the midst of all the turmoil, Job presents some of the most comforting and encouraging words about trails that prove us.  Job 23:10 says:

“But he knows the way that I take;
    when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

Just as gold is refined, God uses trials and suffering in our lives to burn off the dross and purify our hearts.

2. God Uses Trials and Suffering to Prepare Us

The book of Job has 42 chapters dedicated to the story of Jobs trials, but another Bible character’s woes are summed up in a few simple words. 1 Samuel 1 introduces us to a man, Elkanah, and his wife, Hannah.  Verse two brings us to the heart of the trouble:

“But Hannah had no children.”

As our family read through this passage recently, I was touched by three small words in verse 7:

“Year by year.”

Elkanah was a godly man, and he went to worship the Lord as was required of the Jews.  He went up for an offering to the Lord “Year by year.”  You may be wondering why I felt this was significant.  It wasn’t for Elkanah’s faithfulness; rather it was for Hannah’s suffering.

Job tells a hard tale: the loss of everything precious.  Job has a whole book dedicated to his suffering.  We watch his journey.  We see the proving of his heart.

Hannah’s story is similarly heart wrenching.  She hasn’t lost the desires of her heart, she simply cannot attain them.  But her story is not the focus of an entire book.  Instead, her suffering and trials are limited to a few scattered words: year by year she had no children.

So why did Job’s story get a book while Hannah’s was barely cliff notes?  I think one very important reason is the purpose of their suffering.  Job is the poster child for proving trials.  But that isn’t what God had in store for Hannah.  Hannah’s trials weren’t focused on proving her.  God was preparing her.

In 1 Samuel 1:10 we see Hannah leaving her husband’s commemorative feast for some time alone with God.

“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.”

Hannah’s heart was constantly, painfully aware of her childless condition.  However, this time of worship and praise was particularly painful for her.  Her husband’s second wife (I know, bad idea) constantly goaded Hannah about her lack of children.  But when the time of worship came, jealousy goaded her to provoke Hannah even more.

In her distraught condition, she made a vow to God:

“And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life...”
1 Samuel 1:11

Her desire for a child drove her to an extreme sacrifice.  If God would give her a son, she would give him back.  He would work in the temple and be a full time servant of the Lord from his youth.  She was willing to sacrifice the special moments she would have had raising him, if the Lord would simply be willing to let her have him.

Now let’s imagine we could erase a few words from Hannah’s story.  What if we could remove the trial, the year by year that Hannah had no children.

• Do you think this new, un-suffering Hannah would have begged for a son only to give Him up?
• Do you think this new, pain free Hannah would have been willing to dedicate her unborn child to a life of service far away from her?
• Do you think this happy wife would have even thought of such things?

Hannah’s trials were necessary, because they prepared her for what she needed to do.  Her trials put her in a place to offer her greatest treasure in service of the Heavenly King.  Her suffering gave Israel one of it’s greatest prophets: Samuel.
Sometimes the pain, the suffering of life, can seem senseless…meaningless.  After all, where is the sense in the death of ten beloved, adult children or the loss of all you own?  Where is the meaning in year after year of the same devastating bareness?

When we face these questions, when we are drowning in the pain, we must remember, God has promised to work all things for our good if we love Him.  Sometimes the trials will prove us.  Sometimes they will prepare us for the path ahead.  But they will always propel us in the way God has planned for us.

 

When God Breaks Us

Genesis 32:24-32 – New International Version

²⁴ So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

²⁷ The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

²⁸ Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

²⁹ Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. ³² Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

This is from the book Jacob: The Fools God Chooses by David Roper (2002, Discovery House Publishers) pp 85-88

…Completely expended, Jacob could no longer continue. But neither would he let go! Out on his feet, he still clenched his antagonist fiercely.

“Let me go,” his opponent shouted, but Jacob continued to cling. “I will not let go unless you bless me,” he said.

The man asked him, “What is your name?” The form of the question actually means, “What is the meaning of your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered. Clever, cunning Jacob knew well who he was.

Then the man said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel [one who prevails with God] because you have struggled with God…and have prevailed. (Genesis 32:28029 emphasis added) Jacob’s defeat and victory came simultaneously.

Phantom match or real encounter? Jacob knew. His opponent was the Angel of the Lord, God Himself, coming to grips with Jacob’s duplicity, chastening his pride, challenging his tenacity, wrestling with him, relentless in His love. He would not give up until Jacob gave in and clung to God alone.

The clash was the climax of Jacob’s lifelong ambivalence, resisting God and yet relying on Him. Now, utterly defeated and exhausted, Jacob gave up and gave in. Old Jacob was finished. He could no longer survive without a vice-like grip on God, clutching Him, clinging to Him

Jacob was given a new name; the old name was passé. He was no longer Jacob but Israel — a winner. “The bewildered gymnast,” says Emily Dickenson, “had worsted God.” God had broken Jacob, and Jacob had won!

…His story is ours. We, too want God — somewhat — but we hold out against Him. He knows He cannot prevail against us unless He takes some severe measure that will give us no alternative but to yield. And so he becomes our adversary — against us because he is for us.

“Our greatest victories are wrought through pain and purchased at the cost of the humbling of the flesh,” wrote F. B. Meyer. That’s when we learn that “the secret of prevailing with God and man (is) not in the strength but in the weakness of the flesh.” So it was for Jacob; so it is for us.

Jacob’s wrestling, though a literal match, was symbolic of the spiritual struggle that occupies us. It has to do with our hesitancy toward God; we place limits on how much of us He can have.

Because God so loves us, He does not want to lose us. And so He pits His strength against ours. He will touch whatever it is that causes us to stand against Him. Our dreams may fail, our businesses may fold, our best-laid plans may go awry. An accident may impair us, a crippling disease might ruin us, or we simply grow old. Our bodies, once strong, begin to weaken, our minds, once sharp begin to fail. He has touched us and stripped us of our natural strength and ability.

These effects are not signs of God’s wrath and displeasure but evidences of His love. He is working through all of this, wrestling with us, dusting us up, bringing us down to take from us all that hinders His love. He will not give up until we’re wholly His.

Jacob limped away from his encounter diminished… His maiming marked him forever. But if you were to ask about his infirmity he would tell you that the best day of his life was the day God put him on the mat. That was the night Jacob lost everything he had and gained everything worth having.

~David Roper.