Cooling down, should be in the low thirty’s next few nights with days in the 40’s.  Real winter seems to be coming into our neck of the woods later and later.

Looks like we will be celebrating Deed’s and Teresa’s birthday on Friday.   Seems only like yesterday they were babes in the bassinet.  Time does fly.  

Hebrews 12:7-11  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

⁸ But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

⁹ Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

¹⁰ For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

¹¹ Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Chastening, whether by man or God, is done that we might have a learning experience.  It is designed to change our pattern of behavior and correct deviations from the correct method of doing things.

As parents we do this with our children all the time, there are many forms of chastening/discipline, of course and the personality of the child will often dictate what needs to be done to correct the behavior.  What will work with one, often doesn’t work with the other – and one always feels they are being treated unfairly if their discipline is more extensive than the other.

Such is life as a parent, as a supervisor or employer and in the criminal system, the judge and the corrections’ system.

Correcting behavior is not always easy; and it can be painful to both the recipient and the giver. 

When we hire an employee we try to give them the tools to do the job.  We give them written guidelines, we train them in the proper procedures, we watch over them as they practice those procedures.  We correct them when they deviate from the acceptable methods.

We want them to produce the best product – whatever that may be - whether it is creating something, or dealing with people, we want good results.

The reward of successfully doing the job is at the least a pay check.  With many entities it is the ability to obtain raises or incentive pay, the ability to qualify for promotions with more benefits.  There is a reward for doing the job correctly.

In the beginning the guidance is training and helping the person understand how to do the job correctly.  However, once the employee has learned, they are expected to do the job correctly.  When they do not we have to see if it is a behavior from the ‘mind,’ or the ‘heart.’

In the mind means they have either misunderstood their job, or have failed due to other reasons – but they are teachable.  The discipline is designed to reaffirm the correct method of doing things and to help them get back on track.

In the heart means, they know what they are supposed to do but they choose not to do it.  Disciplining that employee is designed to reaffirm the necessity of doing the job correctly and failure to do so leads to consequences ‘up to and including termination.’ 

Discipline can be administered for two reasons, to punish the person, or to teach and help the person.  Sometimes it is a mixture of both – but should be designed to change the behavior so they will be of more value to themselves and society as a whole, man should not discipline with a design to destroy the person.  (I do have to admit I support Capital punishment under limited conditions – that of course is a destruction of the person, but for some crimes, or the continually committing capital crimes, society has no choice.)

We all know the horrors of the prison camps of World War II, Viet Nam and the activity of nations and terrorists in today’s world.  Their discipline were/is to destroy the person, not to improve their value to society.

Discipline that is meted out by business (and other entities) is different from that administered by parents.  The entities’ mission is designed to have a better product, a by-product of that may result in a better world, but, the focus is on making a profit.

Parents, on the other hand, are focused on their child and helping them become responsible and productive adults.  Admittedly there are those parents that are themselves irresponsible and their discipline may be done for other reasons, but most parents are seriously striving to help their child because the love them.

God’s discipline is done out of love.  Even as He allowed His chosen people to be enslaved and killed, He was telling them to come back to Him and He would protect them.  He took away His protective Hands that they might realize when they turn their back on Him; when they worshiped other gods, there were consequences.

As we do as parents, He promised them a reward for their obedience:

Leviticus 26:2-4 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

³ If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

⁴ Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

As well as live in safety, peace, without fear, having victory over their enemies;

Leviticus 26:9-13 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.

¹⁰ And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.

¹¹ And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

¹² And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

¹³ I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

But He also warned them that if they were disobedient He would discipline them:

Leviticus 26:14 19   But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;

¹⁵ And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:

¹⁶ I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

¹⁷ And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

¹⁸ And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

¹⁹ And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

God wants us to be Holy, even as He is Holy.  He wants us to learn to do what is right and to focus our life and desires on Him.  He corrects us out of Love for us.  If a parent allows his children to go uncorrected then the child often becomes a monster and out of control.  They get into trouble with the law and become a drain on society rather than a productive citizen.

We see the effects of bad parenting in the news every day:  The violence, the crime, the complete disregard for other people and their property.  Not all of that is a result of parents that do not care, but most of it is.

As we, as parents, want the best for our children - want them to grow into responsible, successful adults, so God wants what is best for us and wants us to grow in to effective servants of Him.

The best way is to use a promise of reward, but when that is not enough then discipline must follow.

When our children behave properly it is easy for us to help them and guide them.  We see growth in their character and life.  It is the same with God and us.

When our children are misbehaving, it may be difficult, emotionally, to correct them, but, correct them we must.  God is the parent of every Christian and it pains Him to correct us, but correct us He must.

To avoid the harshest discipline we must be in tune with the Holy Spirit, daily searching His Word and asking for guidance.  When we are close to Him we understand the corrective discipline immediately and correct our behavior, when we are not the discipline He administers is going to be harsher.  It is something we want to avoid.

Mathew 25:45-46 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

⁴⁶ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The reward for following Christ’s Words and examples is eternal life with Him.  God has strengthened us and holds us close to Him.

Genesis 6:3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man

The result of not following Him of absolute refusal to obey Him even after His chastisement is punishment; and it is everlasting.  God has rejected the person, He is no longer trying to discipline for correction, but punishing him for disobedience – and it will be forever.

Lord, may I always be subject to your discipline that I might learn to follow you and be an effective disciple for you.  May I be open to your guidance and immediately correct any wrong behavior.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again