Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 22 & Psalm 30
“Joy” is not a word
I would use to describe myself after first waking up. I’m not grumpy per-se,
I’m just a little “happy challenged” when morning comes. I might be awake, but
speak to me at your own risk.
When
David the Psalmist says, “joy comes with the morning,” he is not referring to our
daily wake up patterns. His point is that trials and troubles don’t last
forever in our lives. At some point, the darkness will lift and our joy will
return. Specifically, David is commenting on the duration of God’s discipline
in our lives.
There
are times in all of our lives where we undergo God’s correction and discipline.
Part of the process of finding wisdom and listening to our Father’s instruction
includes receiving discipline from our Father. If we are to grow in grace and
the knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ, there are times when God must
discipline us for our “bad behavior.”
Sometimes we grieve the Lord by our
insistence on sinning. Sometimes, even when we mean well, we can do foolish
things and “miss the mark” of God’s righteous standards. In those times, our
loving Father may choose to “jab” us with trials and difficulties to get us
back in line with His perfect plan for our lives. Part of our training is for God to administer
discipline.
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s
discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (Hebrews 12:5-6) How does
God discipline us? God can and does use various methods of
discipline. He may use trouble at work, hardship at home, or challenges in the
ministry. He may allow us to experience loss.
He may even allow physical ailments into our bodies. The reason we are corrected by Him is “so that we will
not be finally condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32).
Always remember, God’s discipline – when
received by us – will always result in restoration of our joy in Him. Weeping
may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. The result of God’s
discipline is growth in holiness and maturity. And, ultimately, our dark times
will always give way to the light of His presence – either now in this life –
or in eternity in His kingdom.
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