10- 03- 10 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Hebrews 12: 5- 11)
“CHASTISEMENT”- NOT A PLEASANT WORD
Who would want to be chastised anyways? The word many Christians wanted to avoid and keep their ears closed. Chastisement is essential in our Christian life, because it involves our relationship with God. Chastisement indeed is not a pleasant word, but a word to which it opens the doors of opportunity and blessings to Christians. It’s a word which many Christians may not get the whole pictures of what lies ahead; but it’s a word and a way in which God used to instruct, to test, to give importance, to show, to indicate and give us the assurance that God loves us so much that He gave us the chastisement to get our attention for Him. Chastisement is a blessing from the Lord, because it gives us a good identification of the legitimacy of our relationship with God the Father. It means we are God’s children if we have chastisement. In verses 7 and 8, “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8- But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” In my own understanding and belief, chastisement is one of God’s signature in our Birth certificate as a Born again Christian. The Lord has given us also a Good sign that we are legitimate. God has given us also the Great support that no one could give- the loving correction of God. I’m talking about spiritual dealings. (Hebrews 12: 9) “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”
Let us try to live up to that name- the name “Christian”; we are His name bearer and we were called by that name. We bear His holy name to this sinful world. As I mentioned, we are His children and because we are His children, then it is in His power and prerogative to discipline us if we are not living accordingly. He has to rebuke us, remind us, and cause us to remember.
Take note of what the writer said in verse 5- “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:”
