Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:3-11; Genesis 32:22-32
God as refiner purifies us and as the gardener prunes us, but there is still another picture of God who works in our lives to make us more holy. It is the picture of a father who chastens and disciplines his children.
God is a good Father. He corrects us, and sometimes has to punish us [Hebrews 12:6 NLT]. God’s discipline is always right and good for us because it means that we will share in His holiness.
As a father I realize how important discipline was for my children. It was not easy because I knew it was hurting them and it was painful for me to administer discipline, but without it they would have grown up without boundaries and understanding of right and wrong. No discipline is easy – it is painful. God, as our loving Father, disciplines us so that there will be a harvest of right living for us who have been trained by Him.
Jacob had an experience of God but somehow not much had changed in his life. He was still a selfish man who deceived and cheated others. God waited for nearly twenty-five years to deal with Jacob. We read the account of God dealing with him in Genesis 32:22-32.
On the morning of that day Jacob met with angels. God was preparing him. In the afternoon he had news that his brother Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob was afraid because he had cheated his brother. He decided to try and protect his family and possessions by sending them over to the other side of the river.
Then God came and met Jacob. It was in a place where Jacob was alone. All the props that he had leaned were gone. It was a place of brokenness as he wrestled all night with God, and finally the Lord touched Jacob’s thigh and put it out of its socket. No more running now, and weakness in place of strength! It was a place of desperation as Jacob is now clinging and crying out, “I will not let you go unless you bless me!” Finally, it was a place of honesty. “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he replied. Jacob means cheat. God loved Jacob enough to hurt him and discipline, but a new Jacob had emerged. A new name – Israel! A new vision – he had seen God face to face and He could never be the same!!
Questions:
1. Some people think of God is a big softy, but He is a loving Father, who disciplines us to make us holy! How do you think God disciplines us today as His children?
2. What principles can you see in the way in which the Lord dealt with Jacob and corrected him?
Taken from Michael Ross-Watson’s PURE: Holiness and Purity in Your Daily Life, available on Amazon.com.
