God's Extreme Love in Times of Trouble
My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset
when he corrects you. For the Lord
corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
—Proverbs 3:11–12 nlt
Life comes with both prosperity and adversity.
We naturally want to honor the Lord in prosperity (Prov 3:9–10). We rejoice
when the bank account has enough in it, when we have all the food we need, when
the house doesn't have some major problem that needs fixed, and when our health
is good. Yet when trouble comes our natural tendency is to pull away, to
question, or even to resent God for allowing this trouble to happen. If we can
honor God in prosperity, can we also honor him in adversity?
How many of us have been disciplined by God? How many of us have had to
discipline a child (our own or others)? Why do we do this? Discipline in its
truest form comes from love. It comes from a desire to see a child grow up
healthy, wise, and safe. Discipline is an act of protection. Discipline is an
act of love. God does not take joy in the adversity and suffering of his
people. He does not force trouble upon us. No father forces a child to do
something harmful or dangerous just to teach them a lesson, but a good father
will use the wrongdoing of a child to instruct and correct.
God’s love for us doesn't ignore the troubles we face in life. God’s love
speaks into our troubles to lead us toward a better and more complete
relationship with God. May we humbly accept the discipline of God as an act of
love as we seek to follow him.
Dear God, help us to accept all that
your love brings into our lives. Help us to trust you in the midst of trouble. Guide
us through the hardships of life into a more complete relationship with you. In
Jesus’ name, Amen.
John
Mattern, Senior Pastor, First Church of God, Greensburg, Indiana
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