Sunday, May 5, 2013

God hurts!


If God is good then we should thank Him even in pain. "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal us later." (Rom. 8:18)

So what are the types of God's discipline? here is what Deuteronomy 8 verse 2 says, "Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands"

to humble

to humble means you've been proud. for what's the purpose of a humbling experience if you're already down to earth? and yes, God is healer, protector, and shield but He would rather choose to hurt you than to see you die. He will inflict a severe damage in you up to the point that you're totally broken. He'll hurt you because your favorite sin has to be purged away. And we know that sin's penalty is eternal separation; God loved you so much he will never tolerate it. Once God tolerates your sin it is as if saying, "I am tired of you. I confronted you many times and in many ways but you don't respond. Now, suffer your own decision, I give up!" But that's not the story of the cross because when we don't care for God before, he cared for us most. So your pain is the best lesson you'll have because godly sorrow leads to repentance. And when God is chastening you, He is actually giving you a second chance.

to test

"to test you in order to know what was in your heart" you may be serving God so well but let's not forget his characteristic -jealous God. He is so critical about affection he would test you even if you're evidently faithful. let's take Job for example. He is a righteous man who offers atonement just in case his children cursed God or sinned unintentionally. He appeals to conscience than to mere law, not like the pharisee. God knew his heart and is so confident about Job's faith, he allowed satan to take away everything but not Job's life. At the middle of suffering the Messiah is revealed when Job pleaded that if there is only a mediator for man and God, which speaks of Jesus Christ. Let's take Jesus as example himself. Even before time began, when no one else is created, He said to the Father, ''Here I am, Take me." So before Isaiah wrote it, Christ already did it . He is the wisdom of God, the alpha and omega, and all scripture point to him. In reality He mourned and cried to God about sin, death on the cross, that he never commit. But in order know what was in Jesus heart, test is needed. "Saying, Father, if you be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done." Luke 22:42


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