HAPPY THURSDAY!
Today's scriptures are about the holding steadfast in the chastisement of God. There are many sides to the love of God, and He is a Father to us first. He loves us so much that He won't stand aside and watch us self-destruct. He'll do whatever it takes, whenever necessary, to make sure that we receive all that He has to offer in life. The word chasten is found in the New King James version of bible, on several occasions, starting with Moses' counsel: You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. (Deut. 8:5) The word chasten is defined: to inflict suffering upon for purposes of moral improvement; chastise. Just as our earthly parents worked hard to raise us to be wonderful, upstanding citizens, and tried to afford us everything we need, and most things we want, God does the same for us. Without discipline and boundaries, we wouldn't know responsibility, or how to make good choices in life.
For me, I've grown to a point where I know right from wrong, and my spirit of discernment is strong, so when I sin against God, I'm instantly made aware of it, and I expect to be chastised. I don't expect to be able to go through life, doing whatever I want, whenever I want, and continuously receive rewards. I understand that we each have free will, and we're given choices in life, and if we choose wrong we'll pay the consequence. We cannot plant an apple seed, and expect an orange tree to grow from it, nothing in life works that way. We have common sense, which tells us that if we want the best out of life, we must follow the will of God. At the same time, the flesh is weak, we're prone to sin, and will fall short of His glory, so with God there's a happy medium. He will never give us more that we can bear. He'll never hold something against us that we did out of ignorance, but He'll allow us to experience the consequence, so learn from it. He's quick to forgive whenever we ask, and the Holy Spirit convicts us to a point of repentance.
It's written: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. (Matt 18:1-5) The life of a believer is completely different from life in the flesh. God has a different plan for each person, so when we accept Jesus as Lord, we're born again. We start from the infant stage of our spiritual walk, and continue to grow each day. We have inherited the Kingdom of God, and our Father is the ruler of all things. He's afforded us everything we'll need to grow into wonderful human beings. He's given us Jesus Christ for Salvation, and the Holy Spirit for step-by-step guidance. He's given us the Holy Bible for instruction, and knowledge. All we have to do is seek Him with child-like innocence, and depend on Him as a child depends on his parents for nourishment and growth.
If you're a believer, the next time you're experiencing heartache or trials count it all joy. God will only test those who He intends on using, and keeping dear to Him. Don't forget, all things work together for the good of those who love Him, so rejoice everyday, no matter what's going on in your life. Be worried when you know you're not living right, and you aren't being chastened, because God has put you up on a shelf. I'm not saying that our life should be full of pain and anguish, and we aren't supposed to be happy, but we're being shaped and molded into kings and queens in the Lord, and sometimes we'll experience growing pains. You're not supposed to live in utter chaos and defeat the rest of your life, because you're more than a conqueror, however accept the fact the you're meant to suffer with Christ in certain seasons. This knowledge allows you to keep your head up when faced with adversity, because you know that God is still in control. It allows you to keep your inner peace and joy, and avoid worry and anxiety.
To know Jesus is the love Him, and to love Him is to love God. With that being said, the only way to please God is to accept His Son Jesus Christ. If you've never done it, then confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart, and confess your sins. Stay open to Him, and seek His wisdom, to continue to grow in your personal walk with Him. Jesus said, "my yoke is easy and my burden is light", so He'll fill your life with so much joy that you won't buckle, when faced with adversities. Simply trust Him with your whole heart. My favorite verse today is: The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:3 )
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455463&dtype=Scripture
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http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional
I love you!
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