Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

June8
Sunday


LESSON FROM
A TOOTHACHE

READ:
Hebrews 12:3-11
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If you endure
chastening, God deals
with you as with sons.
__Hebrews 12:7
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When I was a child I often had a toothache," wrote C. S. Lewis in his classic book Mere Christianity. He continued, "and I knew that if I went to my mother she would give me something that would deaden the pain for that night and let me get to sleep. But I did not go to my mother__at least not till the pain became very bad...I knew she would take me to the dentist the next morning.... I wanted immediate relief from pain, but I could not get it without having my teeth set permanently right."

Similarly, we might not always want to go to God right away when we have a problem or are struggling in a certain area. We know that He could provide immediate relief from our pain, but He is more concerned with dealing with the root of the problem. We may be afraid that He will reveal issues that we are unprepared or unwilling to deal with.

In times like these, it is helpful to remind ourselves that the Lord "deals with [us] as with sons" (Heb. 12:7). His discipline, though perhaps painful, is wise, and His touch is loving. He loves us too much to let us remain as we are; He wants to conform us to the likeness of His Son, Jesus (Rom. 8:29). God's purposes of love can be trusted more than any of our emotions of fear. __Poh Fang Chia

``````````````````Thank You, Lord, for showing me my hidden`````````````````````
``````````````````faults, for You treat me as Your dear child.``````````````````````
``````````````````Help me surrender to Your cleansing work```````````````````````
````````````````````till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.````````````````````````
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God's hand of discipline is a hand of love.

**********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Hebrews 12:3-11*****************************

3 For consider Him who
endured such hostility from
sinners against Himself, lest
you become weary and
discouraged in your soul.

4 You have not yet resisted
to bloodshed, striving
against sin. 5 And you have
forgotten the exhortation
which speaks to you as to
sons: "My son, do not
despise the chastening of
the LORD, nor be
discouraged when you are
rebuked by Him; 6 for
whom the LORD loves he
chastens, and scourges
every son whom He
receives."

7 If you endure chastening,
God deals with you as with
sons; for what son is there
whom a father does not
chasten? 8 But if you are
without chastening of
which all have become
partakers, then you are
illegitimate and not sons.

9 Furthermore, we have had
human fathers who
corrected us, and we paid
them respect. Shall we not
much more readily be in
subjection to the Father of
spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days
chastened us as seemed best
to them, but He for our
profit, that we may be
partakers of His holiness.

11 Now no chastening seems
to be joyful for the present,
but painful; nevertheless,
afterward it yields the
peaceable fruit of
righteousness to those who
have been trained by it.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

A constant refrain in Scripture is that God chastens and that such
discipline is evidence of His love and a prerequisite of our sonship
(Deut. 8:5; 2 Sam. 7:14 Job 5:17-18; Ps. 89:30-33; Prov. 3:12; Heb.
12:5-8). But God's discipline is much more than just rebuke and
punishment. It includes nurture, instruction, and training in holiness
and righteousness (12:10-11).