Fear No Fear

“Now no discipline seems to be joyful at the time, but grievous. Yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness in those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11, MEV). God loves us enough to offer us correction before He has to bring judgment. This is a pattern clearly visible throughout scripture. Again and again God sends His word through prophets and teachers. For people to change their behaviour. To repent. To turn back to Him. To correct their steps. He does it in big ways and small ways. He talks to us and tells us about what’s coming, so that we can rely on Him and make the right decision. This is the pattern. Warning, correction, discipline, but all long before judgment is coming to call. If the warnings are not heeded, then the consequences of rebellion are felt. This is a loving and merciful God. He doesn’t punish immediately. He doesn’t jump down our throats. He is patient. Kind. Gentle. Warning after warning given. Sometimes over decades or centuries. He gives a LOT of chances. Until there are no more chances. The lesson isn’t to wait until the last possible moment. The lesson is to take advantage of all that correction opportunity. No one LIKES to be corrected. No one LIKES to deal with the fallout of something they did wrong. It isn’t pleasant. But it is neccessary in order to get right again. It’s needed in order to walk in the fullness of the freedom that comes with correction. God doesn’t want to judge us. He wants us right with Him. God doesn’t want to punish us. He wants us walking in righteousness day in and day out. God wants to correct us, because then He doesn’t have to punish or judge. God is a just God. He is a righteous God. He will do what needs to be done. But before that, He strives to correct us and to have us choose to accept that correction. God’s heart is to hold and love us. But part of a parent’s love means correcting missteps. He is our loving Father. He wants us right with Him. Jesus came so that we could live in Jesus and Jesus could live in us and we could be right with Him. When you feel God’s correction and when you find it in the Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17), avail yourself of it. Take the correction. He’ll be right there with you through it. Take His hand. Get right with Him. Renew your thinking to His point of view. It won’t take long. It will pass. And you’ll have restored fellowship with your Father.