Thursday after the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on September 28, 2023 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
Some suffering is a matter of attacks initiated by the devil for no other reason than to afflict God’s faithful people. Some suffering is a matter of chastening and correction that properly is the result of our own mistakes. God blesses us and makes us stronger through both. And whether or not we understand which type of suffering it is, in either case we need to act as our Lord has commanded us. We are to be patient, humble, and still love our neighbors, even if they are the ones afflicting us.
How much more should we also love our faithful masters! The Fourth Commandment teaches us to honor our father and mother, which also means all our parents, masters, and authorities. God chastises us, and often He does it through those who are charged with faithfully loving us and leading us. We are not to sin against our enemy who afflicts us, so we definitely are not to sin against our faithful masters who correct our mistakes!
Our sinful hearts struggle with this. Our wicked nature hates correction, and it definitely hates chastening. But suffering makes us stronger if we endure it faithfully. The crosses and discipline that our Lord places on us make us grow in holiness, and through that we can reflect the glory of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus all the more!
Collect: Lord, we pray Thee, that Thy grace may always go before and follow after us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
