Thursday after the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on September 19, 2024 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
‘Correction’ is out of favor in our culture and the necessity to discipline behavior is frowned upon. However, the writer to the Hebrews acknowledges that though the knowledge and wisdom of earthly fathers might be lacking, “…we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. …For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them…” In Church, State, and Home, such correction is vital to our formation, and even though those charged with the responsibility to use correction are flawed, sinful human beings, we still owe them respect because they were trying to fulfill their vocation. Scripture teaches us that if such earthly fathers are worthy of respect, how much more so our heavenly Father, who provides perfect correction? “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? …Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?”
The sinful propensity is to grumble under correction, complaining against the One who is chastening us. The chastening which we experience in this life is for good; if, like Job, we suffer not on account of transgression, but to the glory of God, such chastening is for our strengthening in the faith. We, too, need to hear those words: “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” Far too often, we surrender to temptation, and grumble under correction. “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.” Maturing faith recognizes chastening for what it is: that which the Father bestows on those who are His adopted children.
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.
