A Nugget from New Life Network
(some excerpts from Bob Gass Ministries)
Scripture for the Day (August 9, 2016)
Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude]. (Revelation 3:19, AMPC)
Most people do not like discipline and correction. However, in this life, we all need it because none of us are perfect. Some people think that God is a cruel task master and sits on ready to whack us with a big stick every time we mess up. Even worse, some believe that God uses the tools of the enemy, such as disease, sickness, and destruction, to discipline us. Those my friends are all lies!
God loves us His children and as a loving father. God does discipline His kids but in a very loving way. God’s correction humbles us in ways we need to be humbled. And when He does it, we have three options: (1) Rebel against Him. (2) Rationalize and make excuses. (3) Receive His correction, repent, and get back on track.
But lasting change can’t even begin until you accept that God loves you unconditionally and just as you are. Without that, you’ll keep trying to change yourself in a vain attempt to earn His love and acceptance. The truth is, you already have it—you just may not know it! You can’t properly receive God’s correction until you have a clear understanding of how much He loves you. Without that, you’ll interpret His correction as rejection and see His disapproval of your behavior as disapproval of you. To grow spiritually you must believe that God is committed to you, especially when He deals with you correctively and leads you in ways you don’t understand. During such times you must have an unshakeable trust in His love for you.
The apostle Paul was convinced that nothing could separate him from God’s love (See Ro 8:39). In Revelation chapter three God is speaking to each of us when He says, “Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults…convict and convince…reprove and chasten.” One of the strongest evidences of God’s love and acceptance, is His correction. Indeed, you should be concerned about the absence of it! So if God’s correcting you right now, take heart and rejoice! It means He has good things in store for you.
