July 22, 2025 | Be God's Family
Discipline of God’s Love and Wisdom
Scripture: Hebrews 12:4-13(NIV)
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Devotional
I’m sure all of us, at some point, have faced a hardship, a correction, or some obstacle in our lives where things were just downright tough. Within the book of Hebrews, we are painted a very powerful picture of the discipline of the Lord. As children of the Lord, God’s discipline shows us that it is not to intentionally hurt us, cause us pain, or break us, but more to transform us. In Isaiah 64:8, it says we, the children of the Lord are the clay, and God is our potter. We are all the work of his hand, molding us to be more Christ like as we continue through our faith journey.
When we think about some of our own personal hardships or obstacles, how many of us have had the mindset of, “I’m a failure” or “I can’t do anything right”? God tells us that we can trust in him, his process, and that the struggles we are currently facing or have faced, are producing something greater, a harvest of righteousness and peace (Hebrews 12:11). God is working in us, in the moment, in the struggle. As we are enduring that hardship, that is God saying, “Trust Me” and have the Discipline.
As we go through hardships and obstacles, and as corrections come our way, let us be reminded by God’s discipline, not as something negative, but as his love, care and wisdom of what is to come. Let us trust that he is our potter, and we are his clay, he is continually molding us so that our faith and character can continually be refined. As obstacles, hardships, and corrections come in your way, let it be an opportunity to foster peace with God, yourself, and others. May we seek God’s wisdom to guide us in our response to difficult situations with a gentle heart, rather than anger, frustration, and hurt.
Poem
Ready?
Psalm 66
Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
Psalm 66:8-10
O Daughter, have you studied?
You ready for the test?
Did you just cram or deeply learn
My precepts to digest?
Are you prepared, great testing?
Perhaps, oral exam?
A written essay? Physical?
Your faithfulness expand?
Is your mind sword-like sharpened?
Your weak knees wrapped in grace?
Is your tongue used to bridle?
Your path leveled for race?
O Daughter, are you ready
To face My loving test?
Great discipline I’m sending—
Refinement, this—your best
