The Discipline Of God

As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” - Rom. 9 vs 13. (ESV)

And also Hebrews 12 vs 5 - 11

"And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (ESV)

Today I'd like to re-align our focus and I want to show you how God through his love chooses to discpline us.

I'm quite sure that everyone reading this post knows well the life stories of both Jacob and his brother Esau. We would do well to remember that Esau sold his very birthright and Jacob was a deciever. But God knew from the very beginning whom he had chosen for his purpose. The same way he knew David would be king instead of his brothers.

We read about Jacob and Esau reuniting once again in Genesis chapters 32 - 33. The Bible gives us Jacob's entire life story and what he went through when he lived with his uncle Laban. He served seven years for Leah and seven more years for Rachel. He was conned by his own family, and probably we would say he deserved it because he did the same with his brother and his father. He life was filled with deception from every corner with family and from the outside as well.

He had been through much and that was through the hand of God. Everything he had been through was the discipline of God in his life. As we read before in the scriptures that God loved Jacob, but Esau he hated. He put Jacob through everything because he simply loved him.

Lets look at Esau for a minute. Edom was named after Esau, so he had a country named after him. He went out with 400 men at his command to meet Jacob, he surely had much more in Edom under his command. He could do as he pleased and he had no one over him. He had everything. It seems like he was blessed.

And that's the problem right there, it seemed like he was a 'blessed' man, while Jacob surely had everything too, but his life was filled with a lot of disruptions.  You see, when God hates someone he lets them loose. They can do whatever they want. Go wherever they choose to. They can obtain everything and it seems like they're being 'blessed'.
He could run wild. Esau was that kind of a man.

Now take a look at Jacob. Spending so many years at his uncle's home, being lied to and cheated on. At certain points in his life thinking the whole world's against him. When he lost his favourite wife Rachel through child birth (that's when Benjamin was born). When his own sons hated each other. When he thought he lost his favourite son through the deception of others and later thinking he lost Benjamin too. His whole life seemed quite messed up. Sometimes you may think the same of your own life. But remember the scriptures  speak very clearly and emphatically states that God loved Jacob.

His whole life seemed to be filled with so much deception and hurt, but at times we can't help but simply relate. But there's purpose in pain. It was God's plan for his life. The purpose was to discipline him, to teach him to be solely dependent upon God. At the end God accomplished his plan and brought into fruition his purposes in Jacob's life.

Can you see God working in your life? Can you recognize his discplines over you and your family? Or do you see yourself so 'blessed' that you run wild and no one seems to care? There is hope for you. Come to God and receive his discpline as a loving Father. Am not saying that God won't bless you, believe me he surely will and it will be the best beyond your comprehension. But remember not every 'blessing' is from God. If you're only being blessed and there's no discipline, be very careful the path you tread is a dangerous one ahead. We must come to the point of being able to accept both blessing and discipline from God. But discipline always comes first before the blessing. Don't be that person who runs wild without God in his life.

The Psalms speaks much about how the wicked continually gain wealth, its because their god is only greed. But if we know Christ as our eternal Lord, then you will understand his discipline and accept it whole heartedly because you know that at the end of that discipline lies 'every good and perfect gift' that comes from above is yours for keeps.

My encouragement to all of you reading this, that you will be blessed but more than the blessing for it's a blessing in itself that you are able to see God in every hardship of your life and ask of him to grant you the understanding that He simply knows best.

Allow everything that comes to you as a discipline from God, for you will see at the end as Jacob did. He had his entire family with him and that was the greatest blessing for him. Im sure he was grateful for all that God had allowed him to go through. It shaped him into a better man. A stronger man. A strong man or woman in Christ knows that the source of their strength to go through this life is not their own self-sufficient ways but a total dependency upon God who can do all things. For, it is only him who can truly bless us.

Those without a father will run wild, but for those who know God as their father will accept his discipline because they know He knows best.

With much encouragement and blessings,

Shane.

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