August 11, 2016 – Hebrews 12:7-9

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? Hebrews 12:7-9Discipline is a form of teaching.  Growing up, I knew inside the instant I did wrong and knew discipline would be received.  It came in many forms.  The discipline came in many forms — spankings were expected, so when my Daddy cried, that was punishment, when my Mom wrote me a note from her heart – it hurt.  When Dad made find my own switch from the Tamarisk bushes, and sent me back for a heavier one, that was discipline.  Discipline is a form of teaching.  The verb definition is to train to obey rules or code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.Does God punish us?  Yes.  Have you heard the word, consequences? Are you familiar with the verse, we reap what we sow?  As a man thinks in his heart, so is he!  Staying up late makes us sleepy the next day.  Eating too much dessert makes us ruins our health.  Cheating and lying have consequences.  Anger has consequences.  Beginning a conversation with clenched fists and clenched mind has consequences.   God loves us too much to let us be unruly and disobedient.  He chose us to be holy.Work, that four letter word that interrupts our pleasures, takes planning, has definite guidelines.  And even more so in our relationship with God.  Work at two things — living in peace with everyone and live a holy life.  Doing so will have a righteous consequence.  An eternity of peace, joy and enveloping love.  There are no shortcuts to this righteous consequence.Look on discipline as a gift leading to eternal joy.  Embrace peace and live a holy life!Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:14-15