Do you feel that you are suffering the consequences of past mistakes? Do you feel like God is holding you back from what you really want in life? These are just some of the experiences of being under the discipline of the Lord. Every Christian will experience God's discipline from time to time. How do we fill our hearts with praise and bless the Lord?
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How To Bless The Lord In All Seasons Series
This article is part of the HOW TO BLESS THE LORD IN ALL SEASONS series. The series consist of:
- HOW TO BLESS THE LORD IN SEASONS OF TESTING & TRIAL -- Looks at our nature to forget the Lord when things are going great and our tendency to forget the Lord when our faith is being stretched.
- HOW TO BLESS THE LORD IN THE SEASON OF CORRECTION & DISCIPLINE--Looks at blessing the Lord when we are suffering the consequences of his correction and discipline.
- HOW TO BLESS THE LORD WITH ALL YOU GOT! --Looks at what it means to bless the Lord with all that is within you. (Publish date 11/29/15).
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A Call to Praise & Blessing
In Psalm 103 David called God’s people to an attitude of praise,
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
Bless the Lord, all that is within me,
Bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1).
David reminded them of Moses warning to not forget the Lord (Psalm 103:2) who had brought them out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 6:12), to remember the Lord in seasons of testing (Deuteronomy 8:11), and seasons blessing (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). David’s reflection on Exodus now moves to the works and ways of the Lord as he revealed himself to Moses,
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal will us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:6-12).
God is always working towards righteousness and justice. Any idea of God that does not honor this aspect of his nature is short-sighted. But how can he work out his righteousness with such flawed people on earth? The account of Exodus provides insight that David seems to draw from in Psalm 103.
At the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 34:6-7, God reveals his nature as being merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. It is in this context of how God revealed himself to Moses that David would have us understand his dealings with the stiff-necked, stubborn children of Israel.
What does this have to do with me? Hmmm...I think we can all agree that at times, we just like them.
At the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 34:6-7, God reveals his nature as being merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. It is in this context of how God revealed himself to Moses that David would have us understand his dealings with the stiff-necked, stubborn children of Israel.
What does this have to do with me? Hmmm...I think we can all agree that at times, we just like them.
Why Do We Experience Seasons of Correction & Discipline?
The Lord corrects us because he loves us personally, and individually,
“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).
“Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty” (Job 5:17).
"The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12:6).
The Lord cares for our well-being and spiritual growth. The discipline of the Lord is a proof of our salvation, proof that we have been adopted as a child of God and it is proof that he lovingly cares about us as our Father.
How do you react when the Lord corrects you? Do you give up? Do you become rebellious? When your path sees to end, do you ever just stop and listen to the Lord?
How Does God Deal With Stubborn People?
What is the difference between God's punishment and God's discipline? While it may feel like the Lord is punishing us, believers never experience God's punishment. The sacrifice that Christ paid for our sins is so complete and perfect, we will never experience his wrath.
Instead, God is always working towards our perfection. Though it might not be pleasant (Hebrews 12:11), his discipline is to create his righteousness in our hearts. Any feeling that we have that God is against us is based upon our limited experiences, not the word of God.
The children of Israel are noted for being stiff-necked and stubborn during forty years between the exodus out of Egypt and the entering of the promise land. These years are often referred to as the wilderness years. How is God dealing with us during our wilderness years?
- The Lord is gracious and compassionate to with us during our wilderness years (Psalm 103:8).
- The Lord is patient and slow to anger with our learning curve and rebellious nature (Psalm 103:8).
- The Lord removes our transgressions from our account because Christ paid for our sins on the cross (Psalm 103:11).
- The Lord continues to love us inspite of our stubborn and rebellious nature (Psalm 103:12).
God does not change. His grace, compassion, patience, love and forgiveness are based upon his own nature, and the final work of Christ on our behalf -- not our nature. God chose us knowing who we were, and he who he would form us to be. His discipline is an act of his fatherhood in our lives.
How Do We Praise the Lord Under His Correction and Discipline?
Without understanding what God is accomplishing in our seasons of correction and discipline, it is easy to be filled with feelings of defeat, discouragement and rejection. Here are two things we need to know about the season of discipline:
- Know that discipline produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).
- Know that the discipline is only momentary and relief awaits the formation of your character (Psalm 30:5; Micah 7:18).
Even in the midst of correction and discipline we are able to bless the Lord with praise in our hearts knowing that he cares for us! We can place our entire lives in his hands and submit ourselves to his Fatherhood and Lordship. Now we need to look at HOW TO BLESS THE LORD WITH ALL WE GOT!
We are free to tap into the power of praise! Consider reading HOW TO PRACTICE THE POWER OF PRAISE for more insight on the holistic and dynamic effects that praise plays in the spiritual life of the believer.
We are free to tap into the power of praise! Consider reading HOW TO PRACTICE THE POWER OF PRAISE for more insight on the holistic and dynamic effects that praise plays in the spiritual life of the believer.
How About You?
Do you feel that you in a season of correction and discipline? Consider entering a time of prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal the changes that he would like to make in you. Consider finding a few key verses to memorize as he transforms your character. Make a list of things that you are thankful for today. Consider intentionally practicing thankfulness each day and watch how praise follows your thankfulness.
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