Stop Running you... - Daily Devotional December 5th, 2009

Daily Bible Reading - Job 6-7, Micah 2, Hebrews 12,

Stop Running you...

Hebrews is an amazing book in general but I specifically love chapter 12. Chapter 12 just lays some things out for us that we all need to hear. It is straight forward and very easy to understand. Listen to what Hebrews 12:5-8 says, "And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons".

This passage lays out the difference between being a child of God or not being a child of God. A child is one that God corrects because of love but if one is not corrected then they are not a son or daughter at all but rather illegitimate children (although I like how it says it in the King James Version better). One thing sets us apart from being a child with a great father or a fatherless child - correction. As a father I have learned the love of correction because I want my kids to grow up knowing the difference between right and wrong. The same is true with God and His children.

God loves His children so much that He corrects us and it is this very thing that qualifies us to be His children. Now we all know that no punishment is fun but if we will endure this punishment and not run from it we will have peace and life. Hebrews 12:11, "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it". This punishment is for our good, our benefit and shows us how much God loves us.

God loves us so much that He wants us to endure the chastening he has for us. The problems come when we choose to run like so many do from His chastening. When we run we become illegitimate, this is not God's doing but ours which leads me to the title "Stop Running you...". When we run we take ourselves away from God's correction and we grow up selfish, prideful and without a father.

We must stop running form God's correction! Correction comes through people that God has established in our lives such as pastors, mentors, parents and others. God uses all of these people to correct us. This is better then God Himself showing up, He is massive and that would be one really big spoon of correction. If we can get to the place where we understand correction, we will understand love. If we understand love we will understand that to be a child of God we must stop running from the correction. When we do not get corrected we are in fact illegitimate.

Today as you examine your life what areas are you not being corrected? What areas are you not allowing God to love you in? What areas are you hiding from Him? Release them all to Him today and stop running and become a child of God.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - Job 8, Micah 3-4, Hebrews 13