Son

Mar

2024

Finding Joy in Discipline?

God’s Love

“Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” – Hebrews 12:6 (NIV)

We are reminded of the deep and abiding love that God has for His children.

His discipline and punishment are not acts of cruelty or anger, but rather expressions of His love and care for us.

Purpose

God’s discipline is not meant to harm us or make us feel small. Instead, it serves a greater purpose – to shape us, refine us, and help us grow into the people He has called us to be.

Just as a loving parent corrects a child, so too does God correct us, not out of anger, but out of a desire to see us reach our full potential.

Process

Discipline is often uncomfortable and even painful. It can be easy to resent it or to feel like we’re being punished for our mistakes.

However, if we can shift our perspective and see discipline as a sign of God’s love and care for us, we can begin to find joy in the process.

Growth

When we embrace discipline with humility and trust in God’s goodness, we open ourselves up to growth and transformation.

Discipline helps us to shed our selfish tendencies and develop character, patience, and wisdom. It refines us, like gold being purified in the fire, so that we can better reflect the image of Christ within us.

Do not despise the discipline of the Lord, but rather embrace it with gratitude, knowing that it is a sign of His deep and abiding love for you. Through discipline, you can find joy and hope in the process of becoming more like Christ.

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“One Minute with God”

Jan

2024

Tough Love

My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and he chastens everyone He accepts as his son. Hebrews 12:5-6

We don’t enjoy being disciplined! It feels frustrating and uncomfortable. But God’s loving correction produces valuable fruit in our lives.

His desire is to refine our character and nurture wisdom, not punish us.

Discipline shows Father God is involved in the details of our growth. He cares enough to prune and refine us. We can receive it as an expression of His love rather than rejection.

Cooperating with Correction

When God presses into an area of sin or foolishness, our instinct may be to resist the conviction. But embracing His discipline leads to freedom, so we must lean into the discomfort.

Ask God to reveal lessons He wants you to learn so the pruning process bears maximum fruit.

Stay responsive as He shapes your character into Christlikeness.

Endure Hardship as Discipline

Even hard circumstances can be God’s discipline if responded to correctly. Stand firm during trials, trusting God’s refinement process. Though painful, His methods produce a harvest of righteousness.

Prayer

Father, help me accept Your correction rather than resisting it. Even when discipline feels difficult, remind me, You are treating me as a beloved child. You stay engaged in my growth because You love me too much to leave me unchanged.

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“One Minute with God”

Apr

2019

The Lamb of God

Dear Friends,

I love all of you; this not a cliché, I mean it! If you get into trouble, I would do my best to help you. I would go to great lengths to provide hope and give a hand where I can.

That being said, if I found you in a situation, where the only way to secure your rescue, required my death, I am not sure you would be on the list, there may be a few, very precious few!

If securing your freedom required the death of one of my children, that list goes to zero. I love you, but not that much!

As we come near to this Good Friday, we are, faced with the reality of what God the Father did on your behalf. You are broken, lost, and beyond repair; according to the Bible, you are condemned already!

God the Father dispatched His ONLY begotten Son, to suffer a gruesome death on your behalf, thereby securing your freedom; the cost was high, the suffering real, and the outcome secure.

When you accept the gift He gave, you can be sure the Father is delighted, that this sacrifice was not in vain for you!

When you reject it, you will grieve the loving heart of God, and His wrath remains on you; wrath rightly deserved. Think twice about casually casting the idea of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection as a light thing; it is YOUR ONLY hope!

Take a moment, and consider Jesus, look into what He did, and why . . . then make a decision, but do not make it lightly!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” ~Jesus~

Son