God's Discipline

Week 3 of Jonah Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer spoke to my heart in a number of areas.

The overarching theme was that God will do whatever is necessary to reconcile with us. Somehow, someway He will get our attention.

God loves us too much to leave us where we are when it’s not best for us. God isn’t lazy. He will take the action necessary to discipline us so that we will cry out to Him.

Four principles for reconciling with God were shared.

1.   Acknowledge our sin

Being honest with God about our disobedience isn’t easy. But the first step is acknowledging the sin in our lives.

   “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me & know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23,24

Have you honestly sat down and asked God to search your heart and reveal your disobedience?

2.  Accept God’s discipline

Accepting God’s discipline is hard. Like a child who becomes angry and upset when her parent disciplines her we can become angry, upset or blame others when God disciplines us.

God’s discipline of Jonah was painful but he gave himself completely over to God by allowing himself to be thrown overboard into the raging sea. He was now completely willing to obey God.  

“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn your statutes…I know, Lord, that Your judgements are just and that You have afflicted me fairly. “ Psalm 119:71,75

Do we accept God’s discipline of us, or do we become angry, upset & blame others for God’s discipline?

3.  Ask for forgiveness

When we repent we confess to God and agree with Him that we have sinned & disobeyed Him. We ask Him to change our mind, attitude and our actions.

True repentance requires a full mind, body and spirit renewal.

Often times our feelings don’t want us to change but when we truly repent we are willing, despite those feelings to stop running from God. We must choose to follow God by faith and allow our feelings to change over time as our hearts become more in tuned with God.

Have you given your mind, attitude and actions completely over to God?

4.  Act on God’s direction

“But as for me, I will sacrifice to You with a voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the Lord.” Jonah 2:9

Priscilla shared that “Jonah used a Hebrew word translated vow in our English Bibles”. “In most cases, the context (of this word) shows that the vow implies a promised gift for sacrifice, not merely a course of action as is implied in the English word vow.”

I especially loved the quote she shared…

”Whatever you are holding onto in this life, hold it loosely so it won’t hurt when the Lord has to pry your fingers open to take it away.”

Ouch!! Am I willing to sacrifice & give up the things I love so dearly in order to act on God’s direction?

This week was filled with so many areas of reflection. Join me tomorrow for Thankful Thursday as I look at how our prayer lives can be enhanced.

In His Calm,

Mary