As a responsible Father, God loves His children enough to discipline us. He knows the free will He gave us, by its human nature, bears the tendency to yield to the pulls and temptations of the world. Yielding to such pulls will callous our heart towards God, as we demonstrate that such things become more valuable to us than our relationship with God. The decisions of our will are a matter of values.
RELEVANCE
God purposely issued His very first commandment stating, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Deuteronomy 5:7). What are “gods?” They are vain images we conceive in our minds. They are illusions. They become things we desire, identify with, depend on and place greater value upon than our relationship with Creator God.
Why does God care? He created us with His image and planted the seed of His nature in us. He desires that our heart incline first to Him, and value the things He values. Such things have the capacity to manifest His kind of love, peace, and joy.
Father God desires that we live in a way pleasing to Him, a way that truly benefits us more than we may think. God’s discipline, therefore, comes from a loving Father who truly has our best interest in mind. He has an inheritance for us far more valuable than anything the world can offer. He knows the plans He has for us, to give us a future and a hope.
In a dream, Jacob saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder extending from earth to heaven. God promised him an inheritance. He stated, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:15) God performed His word. After a long journey marked with conflicts and trials, Jacob in fact returned to the land of his inheritance; as a changed man of faith who learned the value of obedience and submission to God. His obedience validated his new identity—and new name—Israel.
REFLECT AND RELATE
Have you known the discipline of a father that comes from love? Many people don’t. God wants you to know His full nature: the love and foreknowledge of the Father; obedience and fellowship of the Son; and comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
REFERENCES
Matthew 6:8-7:29; 1 Peter 1:1