Praise & Pray

I don't know about you, but I never liked being disciplined when I was younger. As I've gotten older and become a parent, I've come to see those experiences much differently. I now realize that the elders in my life were interested in training and raising me to become a well-functioning member of society. They wanted me to be someone they could be proud of.

The Lord is no different. Like a caring Father, He is invested in people becoming individuals He can be proud of. People who reflect Him well wherever they go. And it is for this reason that He often has to discipline those who belong to Him. The process is often not enjoyable. However, there are certain important factors you must keep in mind.

The Lord reserves His discipline for a very unique set of people. Proverbs 3:11-12 - My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,/ because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. It is only His children that He will actively correct and invest time in training. He does this because His objective is to get that person to heaven. As such, He must inform them of what they do wrong and even institute punishment, when needed, to train them to make better choices in the future.

It is easy to hate God and complain about Him when you lack the perspective to understand why certain things are happening. It is easy to listen to the lying voice of satan saying that the difficulties came because God doesn't love you. The devil is a liar, and God loves you more than you realize. Also, it is best to agree with God rather than satan, so ask God to reveal what He is doing in your life so you hear from the Creator Himself and not the counterfeit. 

A proper outlook and wisdom are necessary when God is using discipline to develop you. Pay attention so you don't miss certain patterns and thereby don't ignore something God is teaching. In Jeremiah 32, for instance, the Lord explained how the ancient Israelites had ignored His warnings to repent of their spiritual adultery and other iniquity.

He shared how He'd used creative techniques all in an effort to get them to focus on what He was warning them about. Yet, it was all to no avail. Jeremiah 32:33 - They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. The people were so stiff-necked that they ignored His pleading with them to change. In the end, both the northern and southern kingdoms fell to their enemies, and the people were dispersed to live as captives in foreign nations instead of the land that was their promised inheritance.

This is what can happen when God's people resist and resent the discipline He sends to correct them and get them back on track. Or the discipline He uses to fine-tune them for His purpose. They end up rejecting what He's doing in them. You do not want this to happen to you. Allow God to use discipline, if He so chooses, as a means to build you for His purpose.

Yes, discipline isn't enjoyable, but when you remember that He disciplines only His children, you can thank Him for deeming you worthy of correction. You can praise Him for taking the time to steer you right. Whatever you do, never be like King Asa. God lovingly sent Prophet Hanani to correct him for breaking faith and operating in fear (2 Chronicles 16). Instead of heeding correction, Asa imprisoned the prophet and never repented for disbelieving in God. He died from a foot disease that God could have healed had he cried out for help. All because he lacked humility and walked in pride, unwilling to change.

Rather, we should be like King David, who, when confronted by God's prophet with his sins of adultery and murder, humbled himself (2 Samuel 12). He repented before the Lord in fasting, prayers, and tears. All because of the reverence he had for the Lord. As a result, he retained the privilege of his great relationship with God, who said He was pleased with him. Going on to speak boldly about how the Lord cared for him and his household.

This is what God wants for you. He wants you to be the sort of person He can discipline. An individual who can be corrected when you sin. The child He can mold for His purpose, so you will be fruitful for Him and enjoy His rewards. Allow Him to chasten and yield to Him when He reveals sin in your life. When this happens, repent for depriving Him of His glory through sin and thank Him for the loving discipline of a good and true Father.

As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

1. Let God Have His Way

2. Ignorance​

3. Getting through the challenge

4. The Pruning​

5. You are being built for the Lord

6. For My Own Good?

7. Suffering for God's gain?

8. The Opposition We Face

9. The Role of Suffering

10. Again, On Suffering

11. Suffering Can Prove Qualification

12. Don't Reject God's Process With Grumbling

13. God's Discipline Through Hardship

14. Sin Brings A Scar

15. Topic: Humility

16. Topic: Pride