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PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Wednesday Nov 13 - Discipline that brings peace
No discipline seems pleasant at the time... however, it produces a harvest
of righteousness and peace... Hebrews 12:11
Let’s remember the picture of the sports coach training (disciplining) the runner for a race. The coach pushes the runner to his physical limits. It is definitely not pleasant, comfortable or easy!
God’s discipline can be like that of the coach! It is clear and firm. It may sometimes be unpleasant, involving rebuke or correction, but it is also kind, focused and safe. God’s discipline is 100% dedicated to helping us finish the race that brings the fullness of life Jesus described.
Any runner or athlete will tell you of the hours, days, months and years they have invested in honing their strength and stamina. It takes time. We often want to see change instantly but a harvest takes time to yield its crop. We can feel very dissatisfied by the process of discipline but if we want to see the fruit we need to live the process and the time.
And the goal? ‘A harvest (or ‘abundance’) of righteousness and peace’. Unlike the runner the goal is not performance but peace. For the Christian, discipline unleashes a harvest of PEACE. Deep peace. When Father God corrects, guides and disciplines us, the fruit we see over time is a right living and contentment in our spirits that goes beyond our external circumstances and reaches into eternity. This is real peace.
Lord God, help me to trust the process of your discipline because I want to yield an abundant harvest of righteousness and know your peace. Amen.
Thursday November 14 - Long term perspective
See that no-one... is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his
inheritance rights as the oldest son. Hebrews 12:16
Amazon Prime delivers today. Fast food is delivered in minutes. Instant messaging offers immediate delivery and response to our messages. Supermarkets open 24/7 so we have constant access to shopping. Our lives revolve around instant satisfaction.
In itself there is nothing wrong with such efficient service, but our minds have been trained only to be satisfied when we have our self-defined ‘needs’ met with the speed that we expect. When we don’t get what we want we become irritated, frustrated, even angry, and the knock-on behaviour this produces can be harmful both to ourselves and to others. It also means that we lose perspective on what brings genuine long-term satisfaction.
In verse 16 the reference to Esau shows that the craving for speed and instant satisfaction is not a recent phenomenon but a condition of the human heart. Esau wanted instant food. His thoughts consumed him and he totally devalued his long-term rights as the elder son. He threw away his inheritance with a carelessness that had lifelong consequences. His story is a tragedy. His obsession for the immediate distorted his understanding of what was good for him in the long run.
Take a moment to ask God in what areas of your life you are seeking instant gratification in place of his long-term plans for your life.
Lord Jesus, please help me keep your long-term perspective on my life, and show me how to lay down any superficial desires in order to trust you. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY