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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Discipline

I am currently in Bible Study Fellowship every Monday night. We just finished chapter 10 in Isaiah - and wow, these lessons have been tough but sooo good. I want to write a brief sentence or two every Tuesday from now on to share what I have learned... so, here we go.

This past week we learned about God's discipline. We read through Isaiah 10 where God shares that he will use the Assyrians to destroy Judah/Israel (His People) because of their disobedience and ungodliness. However, God will not permit this destruction beyond His purpose - thus, leaving a remnant. PTL! However, through all of this, one of the principles we learned stood out to me the most: That God controls those He uses as tools of discipline for His people and that he disciplines those He Loves.


So, I thought . . . where is God disciplining me in my life? But before I go any further, I had to understand the difference between discipline and punishment because I think they so often get confused so I want to explain it: Discipline is training for the future. So discipline in your Bible study, prayer time, time management, etc. Punishment is pain over something we have done wrongly in the past. Choose to Sin, Choose to suffer.

So, thinking of where God is "disciplining" me right now, a few things came to mind...

Unfortunately, they are things I cannot share, too personal for the whole world to read, but let me tell you, it has been hard . . . and painful. However, I was so encouraged last night listening to the lecture as she said, "God will use anything to discipline, but HE KNOWS MY THRESHOLD." No enemy can come further than God allows. Amen!

But, I was convicted on my prayers. I feel like I keep asking God to answer my prayers, give me my desires, wants, needs - and while God does this, I think I am forgetting the point. Yes, God will answer my prayers, but in HIS TIME and in HIS WILL. That it might not be the time to overcome this just yet, or maybe never. -- and let me tell you, that is hard to say in this circumstance, but maybe I need to ask God WHAT should I be learning in this? or How am I suppose to be changing? He is teaching/showing me something and I need to come to that understanding before I receive...

So, Lord show me what I should be learning through these circumstances. Maybe there is an area in your life that has been hard to endure and painful - ever think God is disciplining you for the future? Teaching you something to overcome something for the future?

Glad God is in control - I know he is doing this for my good and for your good. I can't tell you the amount of peace the Lord has given me to endure these circumstances lately. I know He has a plan, and so I wait patiently on the Lord.

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