March 19th, 2025: Hebrews 12.7-11

Hebrews 12:7-11
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our benefit, so that we may share His holiness.
11 And all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, but to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Revealing our failures is never joyful. When we make mistakes or disobey, we’re tempted to hide them. David’s actions to hide his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) is a great example of that. Consequences will follow, but they’re an opportunity to learn and realign with God. Scripture shows God disciplining us through people, sickness, or sudden events. Israel learned through famines, prophets, disease, and an invading nation. Though unpleasant, these experiences shaped their discipleship.

We should learn from the author of Hebrews: the disciple comes from love. God corrects our actions now so we can change; in order to avoid the destruction in the end. When things go wrong in our lives, we should examine ourselves and see what lessons we can learn. Even if an event isn’t a correction from God, with a heart to learn and grow, we can better ourselves and be better children to our Father.

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