A PICTURE OF HIM

A PICTURE OF HIM

READ:
Hebrews 12:3-11

Whom the LORD loves He
chastens. -Hebrews 12:6

One day my son uncapped an orange marker and drew a picture of his father.  His toddler's rendering featured eyes, a nose, and a mouth, all inside of a circle on top of two long sticks (he informed me that those were the legs).  Although my little boy scored high marks for efforts, his picture didn't quite capture the specifics that would have created a close likeness to my husband:  blue eyes, a confident smile, and silver-flecked hair.

As God's children, we sometimes create images of our heavenly Father that aren't accurate.  We may view God as unloving when He corrects sinful patterns in our lives.  And because discipline is painful (Hebrews 12:11), we may assume that God's correction is a form of divine revenge or the result of His anger.  In reality, it is proof of His love for us.  The Bible says, "Whom the LORD loves He chasten" (v.6).  He disciplines us for our benefit, so that we "may be partakers of His holiness" (v.11).

Today, if you are facing God's discipline, remember that He isn't peering down at you with an angry scowl or shaking a vengeful fist.  Picture Him as a concerned Father, lovingly correcting His child in whom He delights (Proverbs 3:12). -Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Lord, when I sin and You discipline me,
help me to see it's Your love in action.  May Your loving
discipline mold and shape my character
so that I become more and more like You.  Amen.
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God's hand of discipline is a hand of love.

INSIGHT
That God disciplines us, and that such discipline is evidence of His love and our sonship (vv.5-8), is a difficult teaching of Scripture.  This idea is found consistently in the Bible though (see Deuteronomy 8:5; 2 Samuel 7:14; Revelation 3:19).

Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace