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How do you think God disciplines us?  

 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?  If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?  10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. Heb 12 7-12

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Sometimes very harshly but always lovingly. He disciplines those He loves. Some of us are a little bit hard-headed and need a little more than others. He disciplines us all. Sometimes He will discipline a group. He often disciplined the nation Israel. The Bible centers around Israel but I think if we look really hard, we can see ourselves in that story. We fall away from our God and He has to bring us back. I think we might be seeing a little of that today.

Righteously but with love

I think verse 6 is also as important Chris. The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.

Prov 3:11-12 (NIV) My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Prov 15:5 (NIV) A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Job 5:17-18 (NIV) "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal."

Prov 20:30 (NIV) Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost being.

Rev 3:19 (NIV) [Jesus] "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."

Rev 16:7 (NIV) ... "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments."

Rev 19:1-2 (NIV) ... "Hallelujah!... for true and righteous are his judgments."

Sorry. I got on a roll. lol

 

This is going to sound weird.

I think it's personal and what's needed and who's doing the discipline. Just my opinion, but Jesus has a sense of humor. He will put whatever I should do in front of me, I'll see it all over the place over and over. That's happened when He wants me to do something, and I'm stubborn and don't want to do it. Yeah, I know. I can be stubborn.

The Father on the otherhand is like a father. Eat those vegetables kind of thing. Kind but firm. Or if He doesn't want me to go a certain way, He might block the way. Like running into a pillow I can't see.

Definitely distinct personalities. I can sense a difference in the discipline.

(Psalm 103:8-12)The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Love,

Mary

Char,

You are very correct about the conviction. I think conviction is one of the most severe forms of discipline we face. It is for our good but I do not like that feeling of conviction. I feel I have let my Lord down even though He is well aware of my weaknesses far prior to my failures. Yet, that feeling in my heart is sometimes almost unbearable. It is not a feeling of being lost but a feeling of having failed. I do not like that feeling.

11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
So is God's discipline not so much as punishment, but more as a state of mind and body. Discipline in how we act and conduct ourselves; discipline as a athlete is conditioned, is this God's goal for our discipline? We are to be singled minded; we are to not think or live in the past. But conditioned; disciplined so we are in a position for the Glory of Jesus to shine through us. When we remove the idea of punishment, and consider conditioning us into who we are in Christ. As to weight gain: no to junk food. As to mind: keeping our thoughts on Jesus. To strength: we depend and lean only on Him, on in Whom we Trust.
As we think about training, the training one goes through to be strong. And, we begin to consider all the verses that line up to this thinking. His discipline is to bring out our spirits, our spirits that ONLY depend on The Spirit; on God. Then when we remove "punishment" from discipline, we know it is only for what is best for us. And, we know that our best is to Glorify Jesus, which we are only able to do through Him and not our flesh. We discover we desire His Ways; His discipline, for it is the ONLY path to Everything we want in Him.
One thing I have learned over the years about God's Discipline. When we do not accept it, or avoid what we are told through His Discipline, we will repeat it again and again. He does not disciple us for nothing. He is not wasting His time or ours. He wants us to see something, He want us to understand part of His Plan for us. When we humble yourselves, when we yield to His Discipline, we will grow into who He wants us to be in Christ. As we accept what He is doing, we are showing our trust in Him. We are expressing our Faith in Him. We will and do mature from His Discipline. Again, if we avoid it, we will repeat it and it will be stronger the more we deny what He desire we do.

One thing I have learned over the years about God's Discipline. When we do not accept it, or avoid what we are told through His Discipline, we will repeat it again and again. He does not disciple us for nothing. He is not wasting His time or ours. He wants us to see something, He want us to understand part of His Plan for us. When we humble yourselves, when we yield to His Discipline, we will grow into who He wants us to be in Christ. As we accept what He is doing, we are showing our trust in Him. We are expressing our Faith in Him. We will and do mature from His Discipline. Again, if we avoid it, we will repeat it and it will be stronger the more we deny what He desire we do.

"an excerpt from above"  when we yield to His Discipline, we will grow into who He wants us to be in Christ.  2 Corinthians 3:18;  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by
the Spirit of the Lord.

Chris,

In your post, I see a lot of conjecture, without scriptural references. It would sound logical though, to those that have that mind-set.

What I would like to know is, how, do you know when it is a discipline or pruning from God; or an attack of the enemy? The one that comes to steal kill and to destroy, as in Jo.10:10, or do you feel it is God coming to purge you in every occurrence, whether it be by storms, sicknesses or some other disaster?

To me it would be very confusing if when I got sick, or lost a job, a loved one etc. not knowing if it is a disciplinary action from God or the devil. I know the Word says in Hebrews 10:31-39  
 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;  Partly, while ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, while ye became companions of them that were so used…….

So do you believe the afflictions mentioned in this passage, is referring to actions from God, or the devil? It would fall under the same scenario as Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Would it not be the devil coming to steal the Word, “revelation” you were just illuminated with? It was the messenger from the devil that came to Paul when he was exalted into the third heaven, and received “revelation” that he didn’t have words to describe it.

So when a person comes under an attack of any kind, a person wouldn’t know if he should rebuke the spirit of infirmity brought on by the enemy or take an aspirin for a common head-ach, and if I took the aspirin for a head-ach, and it happened to be a disciplinary action from God, then wouldn’t I be in direct opposition to the will of God for me? This would be true concerning any adverse situation we may find ourselves in, whether it be a sickness or a storm like Sandy or a Katrina.

I heard Charles Stanley say one time on TV. He said when he feels a little sickness or a head-ach coming on, he would just lay back and say, “well, Okay Lord, what are you trying to tell me” I just can’t think like that, but would like to know why some do.

Blessings

Joe

Joe,

I think every situation in life can be used as an opportunity to learn something from the Lord. I look at death as part of life. I've never seen the death of anyone as God disciplining me. I've had a mother die young at 59 & a husband die at 39. Neither was for my discipline but there were a lot of things I learned during these times of trial. I've never seen being sick as a discipline personally. Again, to me, it's just life but again, we can learn through it. As far as losing a job, I see this as Obama being in office.

Hi Chris,

 

I think it's important first of all to differentiate between discipline and pruning.  You may not be being discipined at all...but perhaps you are being pruned.

I believe discipline comes when we live in ouvert sin that is potentially damaging to our testimony and to the church.

Pruning is much different...  it comes when God wants to cut something(s) away in our lives in order that we will bear more fruit.

I have just finished reading a great book which may be of help to you.  It's called 'Secrets of the Vine' by Bruce Wilkinson.

you can find it here:http://www.christianbook.com/secrets-the-vine-breaking-through-abun...

Blessings, Carla

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