I’m Duane Matz and
welcome to Today’s Living Word.
Our reading today is a
little lengthy, but it deals thoroughly with the idea of the Lords chastening
of His children. Please note the number
of times that the concept of fatherly discipline is brought up!
Heb 12:5 And you have
forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not
despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked
by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."
7 If you endure chastening, God deals
with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
8 But if you are without chastening, of
which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected
us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in
subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened
us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of
His holiness.
11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful
for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable
fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
By my count, I have 11
times that fatherly discipline is brought up. Seems to me that God wants us to
understand what constitutes divine chastening and to learn to embrace it.
We’ll delve a little
deeper into this subject next time, in the meantime I caution you to not drive
yourself crazy looking for every misstep of yours or mine as opportunities for
God to take us to the woodshed.
We are not saved by grace
to live in constant fear of the punishment of God, but we are saved for a journey,
a journey on the way to spiritual maturity, the fullness of which will be
realized when He calls us home.
And God’s loving
discipline is a vital part of that journey.
I’m Duane Matz and that’s
Today’s Living Word
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