Correction Signifies Love

 

Jeremiah 10:24 (NET) - Correct us, Lord, but only in due measure. Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing.

The prophet remembers God’s command concerning idols.

It is true that the Lord detests idols.

It is also true that idols are created by man and are completely worthless.

The prophet recognizes God’s complete sovereignty.

He also understands that those who worship idols are foolish.

Therefore, he prays for God’s judgment.

The prophet does not pray for destruction, but rather for correction.

For destruction comes from anger and rage.

By contrast, correction comes from love.

Paul touches on this in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NET) - For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here, Paul emphasizes that God did not create us merely to punish or destroy us.

Rather, God created us because of His love for us.

That is why He sent His son into the world to save us.

Christ willingly paid the price not one of us could pay.

But that does not mean we will be free from God’s correction.

A human parent corrects their child when that child goes astray.

A good parent does not administer this correction out of anger or rage.

Instead, they do so because they love the child and only want what is best for him.

God corrects us in the same way.

He corrects us because He loves us.

Yes, we are made in God’s image.

But whenever we seek to please ourselves rather than God we stray away from Him.

When that happens, we can and should expect God’s correction.

In fact, it would benefit us to pray for it.

For it is through God’s loving correction that we can walk with Him once again.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 4, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 11, 2022

A Unity of Believers

Psalm 70:4 (NET) - May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you. May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May God be praised!”

The Psalmist writes of the hope and happiness of those who seek God.

He also writes of those who have experienced His deliverance.

But things like hope, happiness and deliverance are not restricted to individuals.

Neither is the praising of God.

Paul reminds us of this in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 15:5-6 (NET) - Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Each of us is on a journey.

Somewhere along that journey, we will experience deliverance.

As a result, we will experience both a unique and true happiness.

In the end, these are but part of a greater whole.

As Paul writes, these give us unity with one another in accordance with Jesus Christ.

And, just like the Psalmist, Paul reminds us that we should glorify God.

We are individuals.

We each have formed our own ideas and opinions.

Therefore, it is likely that we will disagree about a great many things.

But, despite all our differences, one truth stands out.

We are all united in Christ.

Each of us is part of the Church, 

Paul discusses this in the same letter.

Romans 12:4-5 (NET) - For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another.

So, let us belong to one another.

Let us each serve according to our gifts.

Let us focus on He who unites us rather than that which divides us.

Above all, let us continually praise and glorify God.

I leave you with this quote from The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart originally written in 1623 by John Amos Comenius:

“Farewell, dear Christian, and may the leader of light, the Holy Spirit, show you better than I can both the vanity of the world and the glory, happiness and joy of the elect whose hearts are united with God.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 21, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, January 28, 2022