Tag: God’s discipline

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Psalms Devotionals 2

Our heart in God’s discipline

Prayer

David’s heart hits me in this psalm.

It’s clear he was being disciplined for something. It’s very possible this happened after his sin in 1 Chronicles 21.

But he didn’t complain about God’s discipline or walk away from him.

Instead, he asked for a heart of wisdom that knows what’s truly important in our short lives. (Psalm 39:4-6)

He remembered that we’re just passing through this broken world. And he wanted to walk in it with his Lord, even if it meant going through his discipline at times. (12)

That’s the kind of heart I desire in this coming year: a heart of wisdom that keeps perspective, walking humbly with my God.

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1 Kings Devotionals

Responding to God’s discipline

When you look at Asa’s story in 1 Kings, it seems like he was a really good king.

But we do see hints that there were spiritual issues in his life, with him taking gold and silver from the Lord’s temple in order to make a treaty with Ben-Hadad.

Asa’s spiritual issues are made much more explicit in 2 Chronicles 16.

God rebuked Asa for his actions through the prophet Hanani, and Asa threw him in prison. And when Asa suffered from his illness later, we find out that he refused to seek out God for help, but only doctors.

It made me think, “Was Asa saved? Will we see him in heaven?”

I’m going to guess yes. Why? Well, the writer of Kings does say of his overall reign that he did what was right in God’s eyes and was committed to the Lord his whole life. (1 Kings 15:11, 14)

That seems strange, considering what we see in Chronicles.

But I think it’s consistent with what God said of David. He said that David “kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes.” (1 Kings 14:8)

The writer of Kings echoes that thought in chapter 15, but adds a caveat: “except in the matter of Uriah the Hethite.” (1 Kings 15:5; 2 Samuel 11)

God impressed two things on my heart as I thought about David and Asa.

First, we do live by grace. And when he sees us, he sees us as righteous in his sight. Not because we are perfect. But ultimately because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

We are clothed in his righteousness, and despite our failures, on judgment day, God can say of us, “You kept my commands, followed me with all your heart, doing only what is right in my eyes.”

That’s pretty amazing to think about.

But the other thing that God impressed on my heart is that our actions can affect the quality of our relationship with God here on earth. And one aspect of that is how we receive God’s discipline.

David responded well and maintained a strong relationship with God to the end of his life.

Asa didn’t, and his relationship with God deteriorated as a result.

How are your actions affecting the quality of your relationship with God?

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Isaiah

Struck to be blessed and to be a blessing

Isaiah

I grew up to a lot of spankings when I was a kid. Well, maybe not a lot, but a lot more than I want to remember.

It was never very pleasant, but as I look back on it now, I’m thankful for the discipline that my dad brought into my life. It’s definitely made me a better person.

God does the same thing with us. He often brings discipline in our lives, not because he’s an angry God, but because he really wants to bring blessing into our lives.

For the first half of this chapter, we see God raining down judgment on Egypt, just as he did in Moses’ time. But in the middle of the prophesy, the tone suddenly turns.

In that day, five cities in Egypt will…swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty…

When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender and he will rescue them.

So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day, they will acknowledge the Lord…

The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will return to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them. (Isaiah 19:18, 20–22)

After that, God talks about how he would work in the lives of their oppressors, the Assyrians. And he says of them and Egypt,

The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day, Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth.

The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.” (23–24)

It’s really amazing to me when I think about it. Usually these kinds of words are said only of Israel. But here, God shows that he embraces all who turn to him.

Yes, God will strike us when we sin. But his desire is that we would turn to him that he might heal us.

Not only that, he wants to bless us. And he wants us to be a blessing on this earth to everyone that we touch.

Is God bringing discipline into your life right now? Are things tough as a consequence of some sin in your life? Then turn to God and repent.

It’s not his desire to strike us; it’s his desire that we repent.

It’s not his desire to curse us; it’s his desire to bless us.

It’s not his desire that we be a curse to the people around us, but that we would be a blessing.

So as the writer of Hebrews said,

Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. (Hebrews 12:5–6)