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(Hebrews 12:5) "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..."
Part 3: WE MAY LET GO... BUT GOD NEVER WILL — 5. Scripture (Bible renewing thinking and trust)
TESTIMONY: This is how God spoke to me through the Bible, calling me to repentance and warning me of consequences. After my cancer scare in 2010, my business was dying a slow, painful death. I was desperate for work; money was tight, and the constant pressure left me irritable, moody and downright sulky.
On the plus side, my wife was booked on a two-day training course at a posh hotel with her work. It was all paid for, so she suggested I come along for a change of scenery. I’m not sure why I agreed, as I was a poor companion on the journey. The next morning, she went to her meeting, and I was about to nip into town for a coffee when I felt a strong conviction to stay in the room and open the Bible.
I resisted — ashamed, fearful and a little bitter. I hadn’t spent time with God for ages, and it felt far easier to blame Him for everything that was falling apart.
Reluctantly, I flipped open the Bible, and it fell to Job 36. Verse 7 leapt out; the words were like a lamp in a dark room. "He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous (the upright in right standing with God); but He sets them forever with kings upon the throne, and they are exalted. And if they are bound in fetters [of adversity] and held by cords of affliction. Then He shows to them [the true character of] their deeds and their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and self-sufficiency]. He also opens their ears to instruction and discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity. If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy."
I felt utterly exposed. He saw right through me. He then led me to Job 36:16, and all my defences collapsed. "Oh, Job, don't you see how God's wooing you from the jaws of danger? How he's drawing you into wide-open places, inviting you to feast at a table laden with blessings? And here you are, laden with the guilt of the wicked, OBSESSED WITH PUTTING THE BLAME ON GOD! Take heed, turn not to iniquity, for this [the iniquity of complaining against God] you have chosen rather than [submission in] affliction.
By now, I was sobbing profusely … His Voice then spoke to me very clearly through my brokenness: "Remember who you are - you are My son!"
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Let’s pray, "Heavenly Father, just remembering again this fills me with joy, not because of the telling off, but because You are faithful not to leave us trapped where we are in self-pity and grief. Even though it sounds hard to do, I thank You for the ability to submit in affliction." Amen!
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