(Proverbs 5:23) “He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great
folly he is led astray.”
Why
do you think governments across the globe are so big on relinquishing
discipline on children as they enforce laws removing that privilege from
parents? They are against God and His counsel; they are trees that bear fruit
full of thorns and with trunks as hard as briar. Without highlighting the
exceptions of abuse that does exist, the principle of this proverb must never
be ignored. Where there is a lack of discipline in a child’s life he will be
lead astray and there will be the stench of death in the air. Satan our arch
enemy understands this and therefore sends out those who cry “foul” when our
children are loved the way our God and Father loves us and disciplines us where
and when needed. Discipline is a tool when welcomed, it will help those
exercised in it find life in Christ and of this I am certain; “For
the Lord disciplines the
one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." (Hebrews 12:6)
Those
who believe they are capable of out thinking God are alive and well, which is
delusion of the highest order. However, this is sadly the deception of sin that
has blinded the world. As Christians and although we have the mind of Christ we
too can be lead astray with our reasoning and be led down the wrong road if we
are not attentive the voice of our heavenly Father. Five of the churches in the
book of Revelation had erred on the wrong side of God’s instruction and so
discipline was needed to right their wrongs. A true response to the discipline
of God is repentance, a turning from sin and spiralling towards God’s
instruction. We know that; “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.” (Hebrews
12:11) - It’s our response to his discipline that proves our allegiance.
It’s how we regard God’s discipline in our lives that produces fruit worthy of repentance.
“You will know a tree by its fruit”.
The
one who dies is the one who lacks discipline in their lives. This is what this
proverb teaches us. I am reminded of the goodness of God afresh this morning, I
was one so undisciplined that it is a miracle in which the way our now view the
need for discipline in our lives and the good fruit it is capable of producing;
the goodness of God who can fathom it? I am forever thankful to Him for His
mercy in my life. We may all have our Achilles-heel that we struggle with and
yet God has provide us with his grace to see us past that hurdle; the harder
the struggle the sweeter the victory. Even the Apostle Paul had his struggles; “So
to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the
revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from
becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that
it should leave me.
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power
of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Corinthians
12:7-9) – No one really knows what Paul actually refers
to with his confession, it could have been a great trouble or some temptation;
maybe he referred to a bodily pain or sickness; he could have been referring to
it in the way in which he spoke, which was contemptible. Nevertheless it is a
marvellous truth when we learn to rest in the finished work of the cross as we
rely on God’s grace to get us home. The grace of God alleviates our ability to
justify the reasons why we have been chosen by God. The Bible refers to this as
“repentance from dead works”.
Matthew
Henry arrived at this conclusion in analysing this man now spoken of in the
above proverb; “It is a
sin which men with great difficulty shake off the power of. When the
sinner is old and weak his lusts are strong and active, in calling to
remembrance the days of his youth, (Eze_23:19).
Thus his own iniquities having seized the wicked himself by his own consent,
and he having voluntarily surrendered himself a captive to them, he is held in
the cords of his own sins, and such full possession they have gained of him
that he cannot extricate himself, but in the greatness of his folly (and what
greater folly could there be than to yield himself a servant to such cruel
task-masters?) he shall go astray, and wander endlessly. Uncleanness is a sin
from which, when once men
have plunged themselves into it, they very hardly and very rarely recover
themselves. 2. It is a sin which, if it be not forsaken, men cannot
possibly escape the punishment of; it will unavoidably be their ruin.” (Matthew Henry)
It
is God alone who renews a right spirit within a man when they have erred, but
it is needful for those who once shunned discipline to plead with God to change
their outlook and folly. I am forever thankful that God has had mercy on me. I
would encourage all to embrace the discipline that our loving Father inflicts
into a believers life; it is for our nurture and it serves a purpose to help us
see the wood from the trees. We all need it if we have erred. “If God be for us
who can be against us”, praise His glorious name, Amen!
GOD
IS TRUTH! “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the
life...””
Truth and mercy have collided in the Lord Jesus
Christ which in turn has covered some by the mercy of God and we have now been
forgiven for our sins. Praise God for that. What a glorious Saviour we serve,
praise His name. The abuse he took to set us free is almost inconceivable but
in fact true; He died a cruel death at the hands of a Roman crucifixion. It was
bloody and gory and yet He never compromised the truth, He understood the call
God had placed on His life and he drank the whole cup. He became the off
scouring of the earth so that some could go free and be forgiven for their
sins.
Would it not be worth it for us if we too
followed suite and also suffered a similar fate if our example could be the
mechanism used in conjunction with the Word of God to save some?
Peace, grace and mercy to all who confess Jesus
as Lord and for those who thankfully receive the discipline of God
understanding the love of our heavenly Father at work in our lives.
Signing off
Tyrone
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