“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
Hebrews 12:11 NLT
There are several verses of scripture in Chapter 12 that deals with our discipline by God. He disciples us. If Jesus was disciplined by God, how can we escape?
How does God discipline us? Let us look at how God disciplined Jesus? Scripture tells us He learned obedience through what He suffered. How did He suffer? Jesus endured natural discipline from His father Joseph and mother Mary through childhood. As a man He learned to wait on God for His appointed time, and when it arrived scripture tells us, ‘He only did what He saw His Father doing.’ He spent a lot of time in prayer to the Father and was lead by the Holy Spirit in His actions. The greatest discipline He experienced was the cross. He pleaded three times to have the cup of suffering pass from Him and yet God did not change His mind. God knew He was able to carry out the task. Are we not grateful?
What task has God given us to do? Are we willing to pay the price? Are we willing to endure the cross assigned to us? Our cross varies. Some are persecuted for righteousness sake. Many bold politicians are being dragged through the courts for making a stand for righteousness, while the gutless and self-serving hide. There are dear saints in prison in their lands for preaching the gospel. There are saints being killed for making a stand for Jesus.
Is our cross hardship? Rejection by family and friends? As we endure the cross assigned to us, we make room for those who will benefit from the victory we win.
Now is the time to stand for Jesus! Will you hide or shine?
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