Pearls of Wisdom: Whom the Lord Loves

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 in whom he delights. Proverbs 3: 11,12


Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if the Lord never allowed you to suffer any consequences? Can you imagine what you would do if God didn't love you enough to discipline and rebuke you? I can tell you what my life would be like: a total mess!!  I cringe at the thought of it!  Sure, I would certainly like to believe that I would do the right thing without rebuke, but the truth is that some of the greatest lessons I have learned have been found in the Lord's discipline.  

I've recently encountered a very tough season.  It has been a time of rebuke in some areas where I really needed to grow but I had allowed myself to become comfortable.  It was also a time to reap in some areas where I had sown seeds of disobedience.  But the interesting thing is that despite what I know about the Lord's discipline, my response to this tough season was one that we as Chrisitian's sometimes fall prey: selective amnesia!  I totally overlooked MY contribution and immediately started questioning God!!

Sometimes I wonder if God must sit back and scratch His Head at Christian's selective amnesia.  You know, the kind of amnesia that allows us to selectively forget our own disobedience when we have to reap consequences. Or the kind of amnesia that allows us to selectively forget our own contribution to the problem at hand.  Or how about the kind where we selectively blame the enemy for our situation rather than take responsibility... That's where I found myself...asking God "why"?  Why now? Why this? Why me?  But the truth is that when I look back over some of the decisions I made, a better question is "why not?"  I'm the one the Lord loves like a son.  I'm the one He wants to be in relationship with. I'm the one He wants to bless.  Why not me?  Why not discipline and train me so that I will not repeat the same situations over and over thereby delaying the abundance He has ordained for me?

My sister, the same applies to you.  Why not you?  He could have chosen to leave you to yourself.  But instead, He loves you enough to discipline you and break those destructive habits and ways that separate you from Him and His will for your life.  So, if you are in a season of hardship, discipline and rebuke, don't despair.  The Lord loves you enough to allow you to be trained by your reaping season.  It's not about punishment.  The truth is, we could not withstand the Lord's punishment.  But He LOVES us enough to permit divinely designed toughs season to enter into our lives for the sole purpose of ushering us into our destiny.  What a great God! 

So be encouraged that He has not forgotten you in this season. He will not leave you here any longer than necessary.  But He loves you so much that He could not allow you to remain the same. No, my sister, He wants more FOR you and therefore, He requires more OF you.  If you can weather your seasons of discipline by staying focused on learning from the process, you will see your life flourish in the abundance that He promised. It's worth it!

All my love,
Nicole

Pearls to Ponder
If you trace your current hardships back to decisions you've made (or fail to make) what is the Lord trying to teach you in His loving discipline? How can you change your response in order to cooperate with the process and not waste time complaining?

Pearls to treasure:

Deuteronomy 8:5
Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you.

Hebrews 12: 6-10

For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.