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Blessed Are The Disciplined?

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SCRIPTURE

Psalm 94:12-13, "Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.”

 

OBSERVATION

Being blessed in wisdom literature is usually associated with health, wealth and longevity of life. Yet there is a blessing in being disciplined by God. God’s discipline is an expression of his love for us as his genuine children because he loves us enough to correct us. God corrects us with his word. Beyond the natural law of reaping what you sow, the blessed are lovingly reproved and corrected by God-breathed scripture. In other words, there is a blessing for not just learning from the consequences mistakes but from actual direction, conviction of the Holy Spirit through his word. The result of God’s loving discipline is relief from days of trouble.

 

APPLICATION

Blessing comes in many forms and I need to welcome the blessing of God’s discipline. Hebrews 12 specifically identifies enduring hardship as one of God’s loving discipline to his children. Don’t resist God’s discipline but welcome it with open arms. See it as an expression of the Father’s love to give me rest in days of trouble and relief in times of tumult.  When I discipline my children, teach them out of God’s word. Let it be rooted with the depth and weight of the inspired of God.

 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for lovingly blessing me with your discipline. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to suffer from the consequences of my sin to gain wisdom. Thank you for your inspired word that is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. May I never resist nor complain of your heart work in my life. I pray that you would help me discipline my children with your love, discernment and wisdom. I love you. Maranatha!

Posted by John Danganan with
in Community

Community: You Can't Live Without It

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SCRIPTURE

“…and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles.” 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3

 

OBSERVATION

God designed us to be surrounded by “community.” A community can be defined as your church or as small as your Lifegroup. Whatever your “community” looks like, we are designed to be encouraged by others. Like babies need touch for survival, so do we need each other to be loved, encouraged, and prayed for. Being connected with others in church is a lifeline that the Lord uses for us to survive through troubled times. It’s not a question IF we will have troubled times, it’s a matter of WHEN! And when those times come, you want to be fully prepared to have those people in your life that serve as pillars to pray you through the darkest hour or your season of doubt and fear. We all go through seasons so when one is strong, he can uplift the weak. Only the Lord knows the storms that we go through and every thought in our mind. He loves us so much that He surrounds us with just the right person at just the right time. I always think of how many times that I’ve gone through something and the Lord brought just the right person or people into my life at that moment and spoke a word or a prayer that just stuck with me. The Lord uses people to touch us and I’m personally grateful for that because it has saved me so many times from being in a place of solitude.

 

APPLICATION

I know personally that when I’ve been in my lowest of lows, besides the Lord, my “community” has been there to uplift me and keep me from getting very depressed. Loneliness and seclusion is where the Devil resides and wants us to stay so he can steal our joy and fill our minds with lies. When we surround ourselves with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we have a strength that comes from above. It allows the Lord to intercede using prayer and people to speak into our life. I know it is God’s design to have people around us that love Jesus with all their heart and want God’s best for us.

 

PRAYER 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for making us a people that need each other. Thank you for weaving so many amazing, God-fearing, and Jesus-loving brothers and sisters into my life so that when my faith is tested and I hit really tough times, that I am surrounded by those that truly uplift me. You are our provider and our source of strength. You know exactly what and who we need at just the right time. Thank you for your faithfulness to love us through all the seasons of life! I love you Lord and am so grateful to have hope in you! Amen.

Posted by Nicole Chang with

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