Good Morning Friends,
“‘Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, for I am with you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’” (Jeremiah 46:27-28)
Sometimes the discipline of the Lord is severe. It was for Judah. They were taken captive to Babylon and lived as oppressed people there. It was a bitter pill for the proud people of Judah to swallow. They considered themselves God’s people, how could God abandon them like that?
But God hadn’t abandoned them! The discipline, though severe, would not destroy them. It would be only temporary, only for them to learn the lessons they needed to learn. And when the time was right, God would restore them to their land and to His blessings.
So, too, is God’s treatment of those who follow Him today. Sometimes His discipline on us is severe, so severe that we think it unfair and so harsh that we think it will destroy us. But, as with Judah, God disciplines “only with justice.” He disciplines, not for the sake of punishment, but for the sake of teaching. As He taught Judah, even through great pain, so He will teach us, too.
Remember, no discipline of the Lord will destroy you. No discipline is meant for your long-term harm. All of God’s discipline is for your good, to bring you back and to teach you to walk in the ways of His blessings.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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