Day 136, Year 1

Keep Paying Attention to God’s Discipline

“A servant will not be corrected by mere words; for though he understands, he will not respond.” (Proverbs 29:19 NKJV)

Indeed, some people live like livestock, but they could change substantially. The life of a beast is simple, consisting merely of eating and sleeping, and maybe some exercise, laboring, or entertainment, plus pursuing good feelings. The word “servant” in today’s verse, ‘ebed in Hebrew, also means “slave.” Servants or slaves are a bit higher in rank than livestock. They have food to eat and work to do. And if they perform well, they might be rewarded; otherwise, they would get into trouble. This might cause them to neglect all the more important things. But for we who believe that we are human beings with a spirit, our mindset should go beyond that of a beast or a slave. Do you see yourself as a livestock, servant, or human being with a noble spirit? 

If you have not gone through obvious changes upon reading the devotionals over the past hundred-plus days, you may consider the content discussed in recent days. If your attitude is not properly adjusted, studying the Bible might not be very fruitful. The problem of pursuing only good feelings could come down to a tendency to avoid difficulty and choose the easy way of living, resulting in a lack of motivation to examine and change oneself. To overcome this tendency, we need to ask God to change and empower us so that we can appreciate challenges, fear not difficulties, and enjoy the process of facing them head-on. Additionally, we need to seek the Lord to open up our spiritual perception and senses toward the great love of the heavenly Father, which is beyond material satisfaction.

Not everyone who seeks God will become more understanding, for some hold incorrect attitudes. Today’s verse reminds us to transition from a servant mentality to that of a child of God, paying attention to His discipline and the wisdom manifested in it, subsequently changing ourselves. There are two main aspects to this: change in identity and change in emotion. Those who truly believe in the Lord Jesus should seek to receive His authority to carry out the duty of the children of the Father God (John 1:12). More essentially, we should seek the powerful work of the Holy Spirit so as to deeply feel that we are His children (Romans 8:1-14). Believing in the Father’s great love, being open to accepting His discipline, enduring the pain it brings, and sensing His will—all of these allow us to begin experiencing new spiritual sensations, even opening up new realms of feeling. Through this, our emotions could then be transformed and aligned with His.

Reflection questions:

1) Have you already adopted the mindset of being a child of the heavenly Father? If yes, what are the recent evidence about it?

2) Have you ever experienced the Father’s great love? If so, how has it transformed your life?