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Tough Love
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. - Hebrews 12:5b-6.
What does this mean? For the Israelites it meant wandering in the wilderness for 40 years after refusing to enter the Promised Land. In the Book of Judges we see that again and again God allowed nations to rise up and oppress the Israelites until they turned back to him. After hundreds of years of warnings from the prophets God allowed the Hebrews to be carried into exile. God loved His people enough to allow what was necessary for them to return to Him.
Does God love you and me enough to allow things to happen in our lives which would cause us to return to Him? The writer of Hebrews appears to indicate this is true. How would this apply to our lives? I read today of a 17 year old who ran away from a home for students with discipline problems. Harold Chandler, Jr. while attempting to escape fell 100-feet down a cliff. He broke both arms and shattered his hip. He laid in the underbrush for four days. He prayed, Lord, if you let me make it through, Ill never run away again. He was able to crawl using his elbows to the nearby Cumberland River and finally a fisherman heard his cries for help. While in the hospital with his mother by him he said he didnt know which was worse - the fear or the pain. God loves His children so much that He will chasten them, correct them if necessary. Gods view of life is an eternal view while ours is more of a temporary view. If we think that this is not true we only need look at the cross to see His great love and His eternal concern. He loves us so much that His only Son, Jesus Christ, suffered and died for our sins. Jesus was without sin and became the perfect sacrifice. What would God allow in our lives to bring us into a right relationship with Him? What would He allow in your life?
By Ed Wrather
Submitted by Richard
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. - Hebrews 12:5b-6.
What does this mean? For the Israelites it meant wandering in the wilderness for 40 years after refusing to enter the Promised Land. In the Book of Judges we see that again and again God allowed nations to rise up and oppress the Israelites until they turned back to him. After hundreds of years of warnings from the prophets God allowed the Hebrews to be carried into exile. God loved His people enough to allow what was necessary for them to return to Him.
Does God love you and me enough to allow things to happen in our lives which would cause us to return to Him? The writer of Hebrews appears to indicate this is true. How would this apply to our lives? I read today of a 17 year old who ran away from a home for students with discipline problems. Harold Chandler, Jr. while attempting to escape fell 100-feet down a cliff. He broke both arms and shattered his hip. He laid in the underbrush for four days. He prayed, Lord, if you let me make it through, Ill never run away again. He was able to crawl using his elbows to the nearby Cumberland River and finally a fisherman heard his cries for help. While in the hospital with his mother by him he said he didnt know which was worse - the fear or the pain. God loves His children so much that He will chasten them, correct them if necessary. Gods view of life is an eternal view while ours is more of a temporary view. If we think that this is not true we only need look at the cross to see His great love and His eternal concern. He loves us so much that His only Son, Jesus Christ, suffered and died for our sins. Jesus was without sin and became the perfect sacrifice. What would God allow in our lives to bring us into a right relationship with Him? What would He allow in your life?
By Ed Wrather
Submitted by Richard
