Hebrews 12:11 -- "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way."
I tell my three year old daughter all the time that if she will listen and obey, we can have a lot more fun and do a lot more things. It's difficult to treat her to ice cream, for example, if I spend all of my time and energy convincing her to get buckled in the car or to continuously keep an eye on her so she doesn't wander off. I want to show her how much I love her and all the wonderful things we can do together, but before I can show her any of that I have to be sure she will be safe.
I think God feels the same about us. He wants us to experience all kinds of wonderful things, but before he can show us anything fun and spectacular He has to be sure that we will be safe and we won't wander off from him. In the same way we discipline our children to know the right and wrong way to act, God disciplines us. It is not fun, but it is necessary. Once God can trust us to listen and obey, He can bless us with many spectacular things.
Dear Lord,
Help me to learn from the experiences you put before me. Disciple is not fun, but I understand its purpose and I thank you for loving me so much that you yearn to teach me and bless me.
This is great and an excellent example.
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