A small child repeatedly misbehaves as the shopping trip continues down the grocery store isles. The Mom looks at the child and says, "One more time, and I am going to spank you." The child's mischievous face suddenly turns into a frown. The child replies, "Please don't whip me, I promise I won't do it again!" The Mother responds with a stern, but caring look. The child became discouraged for a moment, however, when the urge for that toy comes back and they begin to make that loud sound, because at that moment that toy is worth it all. But does the child ever think, is this toy worth the pain it's going to cause me and my mother. See both people suffer. The child. The parent.
All of you will begin to think reading this...My child won't ever make that scene. I would have "torn into him" the first time. Really? Would you? You respond: SURE! They aren't going to act that way in public. Thats embarrassing! Well, guess what? Everyday we disobey God in thoughts, actions, words, etc. We can even keep on going through that day and never turn to a sad face as a child does when a mother disciplines. We keep on going, as if nothing happened. Why is this? Well, because maybe we have come to a place where the discipline doesn't scare us this first time. Then, God speaks. God comes to us, because he loves us. He promises in his word, if we are his, he will discipline us. See, just as the child that keeps screaming down the isle for the toy, we keep disobeying God. Why do either of these perform this? They aren't thinking about the outcome. How much that spanking is going to hurt themselves, or that parent who just wants them to mind. Do we really care how it hurts God when we keep screaming down that grocery isle? Do we care that the discipline he uses to get our attention may hurt. He will do whatever is necessary to show us, "He loves you!"
We must return to the cross. To calvary, the place Jesus took the discipline for our sin: Death. We must remember what it cost him. The pain he endured for someone who want listen the first time we are corrected. My prayer tonight is that I can remember what took place on Calvary and I can live each day with that warning of the spanking, not receive the punishment. We are all human! We all sin everyday! But, my goal, is to listen this first time.
I am thankful I have a God who loves me, no matter the circumstance. No matter how loud I may get because I wanted something. God help me to remember you are my portion.
