Focus

Experience silence in the midst of your busy day. Take some time to relax into a time to be with God.

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Read

Hebrews 12:3-17 (NRSV)

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
or lose heart when you are punished by him;
for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and chastises every child whom he accepts.”

Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled. See to it that no one becomes like Esau, an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal. You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought the blessing with tears.

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Reflect

My two grandsons are in their bedrooms writing a nine sentence paragraph on a topic of their choice. When I say they are writing, what I really mean is that they are doing a great deal of whining, moaning, and grinding of teeth. You see, they both need to improve their reading and math skills before school starts. So, I’ve been giving them a heads up that practice would be coming before that time. Well, it is not going well. The youngest one chose to write about our house. So far the house is black, the yard is black, the lake is black, the car is black, and of course all the flowers and trees are black.

I’m no psychologist, but I think he is really mad about having to write that one short paragraph. He has torn up the paper, thrown it down the stairs, and has been sent back up to do it correctly at least four times. So, I am mean for making him redo the paragraph until it somewhat resembles what I asked him to do.

Wait, maybe this is how God feels when we whine, moan, and grind our teeth until they hurt instead of doing what God has asked us to do. What else should we expect, but a little discipline.

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Pray

Lord, help us not to grumble and complain when we know you are just trying to give us all the practice we need. Amen.

Go with God.