Accepting the discipline of God
Are you going through a rough patch? Perhaps God is disciplining you.
We read the following in the book of Jeremiah. These are the instructions of the God of Israel to his people
Jer 27:5–7 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes.
Jer 27:9–11 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish.
Jeremiah exhorts the following to the people of Judah —
Jer 27:16,17 — Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live.
Jer 27:21,22 — thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the LORD. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”
God allowed the king of Babylon to take over the land of Judah and the surrounding nations as a result of Judah’s disobedience to God. God instructed the people of Judah to accept and serve the king of Babylon and live and later God himself will restore the nation and all the articles of worship of the temple.
We are not to take light of God’s discipline —
Heb 12:5–6–5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Discipline makes us very uncomfortable. We make every effort to wiggle out of it. We will have friends, well-wishers saying these tough times are not from God. But as the passage mentions, accept God’s discipline. Don’t fight it. Do not take light of God’s discipline. Repent and get right with God. He will bring about restoration in His time. Restoration is bringing you back into the fellowship that you enjoy with God.
