Meditation Monday - do we recognize God's discipline?

Hi there - I hope today's meditation will be a blessing for you! Discipline might not be a popular subject but without it God wouldn't be pure LOVE!! I discipline my kids because I love them and want them to grow up right and also to protect them.... wouldn't God who is infinite LOVE and wisdom do the same??

The Bible speaks about God being our Father and how He compares Himself to an earthly father saying:
"Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it". Hebr.12:9-11

I remember getting a card with a Bible verse for my birthday once from a family from our church. The verse was:
'I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.' John 12:24
I was only young in my faith and was quite indignant about it. I thought to myself, well, I've given my life to the Lord, I'm totally committed and now I get told that I still have to die to myself - haven't I done that already?!

And that is what discipline is all about - we just do not have the same picture as God does of our own hearts and in time God administers his discipline to change us and mold us to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace.

In the book of Job, the most amazing verse can be found - it could almost be missed.
Job 36:15
"He delivers the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ear in time of oppression.

This verse has been a comfort to me in the many times I have felt God's discipline and affliction in my life. It has never been pleasant but I needed my ears opened to progress in my walk with Him. I have always seen an up going line through the years! Without God's discipline I would probably still be the headstrong, cocky sure of herself woman, who had to be broken in order to be of any use to the Kingdom of God. I had to learn what respect for authority meant, respect for the head of our home (my DH), how to submit, how to control the words of my mouth, to be wise and loving etc. Those things don't come easy without God having to do it His Way!!

So really my encouragement to you today is - treat your afflictions with care - God might have a purpose for them and they all work together for God for those that love Him.

Of course, we don't have to accept what the devil wants to impose on us, which is usually guilt and condemnation - they never come from God - but if God disciplines us - yield and watch Him bring you through to enjoy more and more victory in your daily life!

I want to end with a quote from Derek Prince which is so true:
Quote: The problem of many contemporary educational systems lies in the fact that discipline has been abandoned and with it teaching has ceased. I know from my own experience that if a teacher cannot exercise discipline, he cannot really teach.
God, however, is wiser than that. He never tries to teach those who refuse His discipline.
Unquote

Have a great week!
Jacqueline