Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 39:7-11
Ps 39:7-11
7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. 8 Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools. 9 I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this. 10 Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand. 11 You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth--each man is but a breath.
Heb 12:7-9
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 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 our spirits and live!
We all face hardships in our lives but do we treat them as discipline? What is discipline? Too often we think of discipline only as punishment but that is not the only meaning or full meaning of the word. When we prepare for an athletic event, we train and this requires discipline. When we are getting ready for that final exam in school we study really hard and that requires discipline. The word in the original was used when one would tie a small tree in a certain way so it would grow to that shape. It was training; making it better or more beautiful.
When we face hardship in our lives, we are to use these and allow God to use these to make us stronger, our faith deeper, our compassion reach new levels and our love for others be like the love God has for us. The problems in life then train us to be more like God and his Son. But the choice is ours to make. We can let them make us bitter or we can blame them and just quit serving God or we can use them as discipline to mold us into the image of Jesus.
As we face these difficulties (and we all do!) we can know that God is with us and will give us strength to overcome. Along with this he will never allow us to have more on us than we can endure with his help. But we must remember that he can do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or even think.
Heavenly Father, creator and giver of life, I thank you for your constant care and protection. I do not enjoy the hardships of life but I know they are necessary for my spiritual growth so I ask for your help to overcome and trust you in whatever I face. Help me then use what I learn to encourage others, to comfort them in their distress and to be more understanding when they fail. Be with those who are sick and give them your healing as you know what is best for them. Forgive me as I forgive those who sin against me. I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord.
Robert
