“ My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
Last week I wrote about the life lessons my dog, HyDee, is sharing with me. Her example is helping me grow as a Christian by providing a daily look at how a devoted follower behaves in the presence of his master. Much to HyDee's chagrin, there is more to our fellowship than lap sitting and petting. There are treats, of course, but there are also less pleasing aspects of discipleship.
To be healthy and live a full life, HyDee must do her duty. To remain in good standing with her master she cannot do her duty anywhere or in any way she pleases. There are rules and responsibilities connected with doing one's duty. These rules come from above—from the master—and not subject to her private interpretation. So when the inevitable accidents happen and she fails to do her duty as she should; the master is displeased. He never fails to voice his displeasure.
At the voice of reproach, HyDee shrinks with guilt and runs to curl up in her bed or hides under a chair. There she stays, unable to exercise the joy her master's presence usually brings. She stays where she is until the master corrects the situation; offers forgiveness and restores their fellowship.
Likewise, our sins do not escape God's eye, neither does He laugh them off as youthful indiscretion. God is displeased when we fail. If we love Him, we feel that displeasure as a sense of guilt which we are powerless to overcome on our own. We are ashamed of our failure and seek to hide it. But, God does not leave us in this state. If we are willing to come out from under our chair, He corrects the situation, forgives, and restores us to fellowship. He does this because He loves us. We react the way we do because we love Him and want His fellowship.
At our house, even the master's lap is not all petting and comfort. Schnauzers need grooming or they become matted, tangled and dirty. There are times the master's lap becomes a place of brushing and combing. This is not a pleasurable experience and HyDee doesn't care for it all. She will pull away or run and hide, especially if a bath is involved. Unfortunately for HyDee's sensibilities, the master pursues and persists in grooming her to suit his will. There is no escape from bathing and brushing. The strange thing is, though she resists, HyDee is a bit vain and, once groomed, tends to prance and show off. She feels better or at least happy to be through the trial.
God chastens everyone He receives as His own. Everyday living can leave us tangled, matted and dirty. God will not leave us in this state. Sons of God must be groomed to suit their position in His grace. That grooming is not always pleasant. Some take it better than others, but it's uncomfortable no matter who you are. It isn't particularly pleasant for the master either, but it must be done. However, it does feel great when the trial's done and we can shout, “God is good.”
“ If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons...Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
No comments:
Post a Comment