DECEMBER 23 ~ He Came to Give Discipline

Proverbs 3:11-12

My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe His reproof; for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights.

Hebrews 12:9-11

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of our spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. All discipline for the mo- ment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Lamentations 3:31-33

For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness, for He does not afflict willingly, or grieve the sons of men.

My Child,
I came to give discipline—because I love you. You must know, there are two kinds of discipline that you will inevitably experience as you live out your days. One type happens as a result of disobedience. When you sin, I do grant forgiveness; however, the consequences of the sin will still follow. This, hopefully, will teach you not to walk down that path again. The other type of discipline comes as a result of circum- stances that I allow into your life. They may not feel good at the time, but trust that I am at work. You are my child, and my goal is to make you more like Me—and remember, I suffered on the cross and it was glorious, because I gained... you. So just as gold is refined by fire, so your soul will be made beautiful through the various afflictions in life that cause you to depend on Me. Let Me have My way with you; trust My refining hands.

Immanuel