GOD DISCIPLINES THOSE WHOM HE LOVES

Psalm 118:13-18 says, "I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: 'The Lord's right hand has done mighty things! The Lord's right hand is lifted high; the Lord's right hand has done mighty things!' I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord has chastened (disciplined) me severely, but he has not given me over to death." The writer of this Psalm acknowledged that through the difficult situations that he was in, he was pushed back and about to fall. He might be in a very dangerous situation, where he could lose his life. However, God intervened in his situation and delivered him from falling or losing his life. As we read further into the verses, we found that the reason for his difficult situation was that God was disciplining him. He was living in sin, and God had to put him in a difficult and terrible situation to get his attention so that he could come back to his senses to follow God again. 

God disciplines those whom he loves. God never gives up on us, even when we are in rebellion against Him, because His love for us endures forever. One of the ways to bring us back to Him is to allow us to go through a difficult situation where the only thing that we can do is look up to Him so that He can get our attention and return to Him. A great example of this is the story of the prodigal son. The prodigal son left his father and wasted all his inheritance on sinful vices until he lost everything. In his desperation, he remembered his father and decided to return to him to seek forgiveness. When he came back, his father immediately forgave him. In my own experience with God, I thank Him for disciplining me when I rebel against Him because it shows that He loves and cares about me. He doesn't want me to be destroyed by my own sin. He wants to restore me so that I can have a fulfilling life. 

We need to praise God for not giving up on us, even when we are in rebellion. His discipline is not to destroy us, but to restore us. We can rest assured that God's love for us endures forever because He always takes care of us, including our relationship with Him. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Why does God discipline me when I choose to live in sin? What is the purpose of His discipline? What lesson can I learn from today's devotion?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for loving me and never giving up on me, even when I rebel against you. You could have rejected me and left me behind in my sin, but because of your faithful love towards me, you discipline me to restore me to the right living before you. Oh, how awesome and great your love for me is. I praise you and honor your name forever. In your name, Jesus, I pray, Amen.