A Fruit Of Love
(NKJV) Proverbs 3:12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.
(The Message) Hebrews 12:5 So don’t feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. 6 It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.
When I was around five years old my three older brothers decided to teach me how to ride a bike. At the time we lived way out in the country and had a really steep gravel driveway. I had just learned to stay balanced around the house when I saw my dad a ways down the hill with a man he had been helping to survey some land. My dad was standing in from of the mans open driver side door with some tools in his arms when I yelled out, “look dad I can ride” and started down the hill. I began gaining speed fast and my dad was yelling, “hit the bakes, hit the brakes!” I yelled back, “I can’t!” Just then I ran straight into my dad, the tools went flying, my dad went backwards into the car door, but I was safe.
You see if my dad had not stopped me there was a long way to go down that hill and at the end a road with traffic, it would have been really bad. But, my dad stopped me. He used his body to do so and it wasn’t pretty, but I was safe.
When you come to Jesus, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit all three commit to your wellbeing and development spiritually. God will look out for you in an effort to see you grow and succeed, and He knows there will be many lessons along the way.
My dad sat me down to purposefully and seriously instruct me after that incident, not because he stopped loving me and wanted to disown me. It was because He loved me and wanted me to be able to ride my bike with confidence. He wanted me to know how to stop my bike in any situation and realize how important it was to know how before riding anywhere I wished. His concern was for my well being. That is how it is when Jesus comes to our rescue and we are corrected by His instruction. Correction is not unloving, it is a sure sign of belonging, being loved and cared for at a much deeper level than unwarranted praise could ever offer. It says this very thing in the Scriptures we began with.
You might be going through a time where the Father is sitting you down to instruct you in some area but do not be discouraged by it, be encouraged. It means you belong to Him and you are greatly loved. Listen carefully, and get up knowing you are now empowered to do differently. Let His joy and peace rule in your heart even during those times and you will experience great success.
