Thursday after the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on September 23, 2021 by under
Scripture: Hebrews 12:4-11 (NKJV)
12:4 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.
Devotion
The idea that life should be easy for Christians is an idea we must put to death in ourselves. God makes us His sons and heirs in Holy Baptism. He washes our sins away and creates faith in our hearts. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). As sons of God we are children of God, brothers of Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit. Being sons of God by faith is a glorious blessing.
That blessing includes being disciplined by God, our heavenly Father. Earthly fathers are a picture of the heavenly Father in this. Earthly fathers discipline their sons in order to teach them the best way to live. When children break the rules they are disciplined to teach them that sinning has negative consequences. Hopefully, children will avoid that same behavior the next time temptation arises. Our heavenly Father does the same. “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.” God chastens us so that we learn to avoid sinning and instead pursue holiness. While earthly fathers’ discipline is imperfect, our heavenly Father’s chastening is perfect. When we submit to it, it “yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Being God’s sons by faith, we endure His discipline so that we may better know and do His will.
Prayer: Lord, we pray Thee, that Thy grace may always go before and follow after us, and make us continually given to all good works; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
