“For whom the Lord loves He chastens…If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not sons” (Hebrews 12:6-8).

Yesterday we thought for a moment or two about the warning of Moses concerning the Lord’s discipline. How wonderful to be one of the Lord’s children and to be part of the Father’s child-raising family. What a joy to experience His encouragement, teaching, training, warning, correcting and even sometimes punishment when we have deliberately sinned and disobeyed. Let’s break into a conversation between Pastor Kenward and an older man in whose home the pastor is calling. “I’ve never experienced the Lord’s discipline because I’ve never needed it. I’m a good man, Reverend. Better than most folks that come to that church of yours. Yep! I’m a good man,” old Lester Smith said. The pastor was very tactful and witnessed carefully. But the powerful moment arrived when after much conversation the pastor quietly spoke and said, “Well Mr. Smith, the Bible clearly teaches that if you have never been disciplined by the Lord then you do not belong to Him. The Lord’s discipline is one of the evidences of sonship. If you truly belonged to the Lord, then you would know what it means to be chastened or disciplined by the Lord.” How about you, friend? Do you know the Lord as your personal Savior?

For today: Isn’t it wonderful to belong to the Lord? Don’t you wish everyone did?