When hardship or difficulty invades our lives, we all long to be composed and unflustered, while our hearts and souls remain stable and fixed in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s abiding power and grace. During these times, our longing for God’s heart-peace will motivate us to move towards Yeshua. As children, we long to grow up into Oneness with Him, and become partakers of His gentleness, meekness, knowledge, wisdom and grace. In the same way loving parents understand the necessity to love, teach, and discipline their children, with the intentions to bring good into their valuable lives, God disciplines and instructs us, His spiritual children. All children need the balance of unconditional love, loving discipline, and instruction. What children ask for is not always what they need or what will serve their best interest, in the long run; this principle remains the same in the spiritual world. We are not talking about God disciplining harshly, cruelly, unsympathetically or bitterly, because love is always our Father’s motivation. In fact, God warns earthy fathers against being harsh to their children in Ephesians 6:4,” do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord]”.
This balance is also what we, God’s children, require for our soul and spirit to discover our destiny, and grow into what the Lord has planned for our lives. The Scripture says to count ourselves fortunate when we recognize God is our good Father. The scripture says that we should consider ourselves fortunate when God corrects, trains, and instructs us in His Word. There is such a blessing that comes when the Lord teaches us His Word and Ways. Even the sting of correction can be sweet, because it will rescue us from days of trouble. Because of Jesus victory, we are approved, guided and taught by the Holy Spirit- the Lord will progressively empower us to keep calm in the day of adversity, because we know that God is on our side and will fight for our ultimate good. We can count on Him!
When we humble ourselves and surrender to the loving heavenly Father, we recognize our desperate need for His help in areas of our lives that need adjusting for our good. When we fear and cry out, our Father is stirred, and His fiery love races to our rescue. When our doubts and fears are out of control, the soothing comfort of His presence will calm us down and overwhelm us with delight. The Lord will then work in these areas and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. That is, He will give us power to overcome what opposes God’s good plans for our lives. In the Father’s love we will find a place of safety and regain a calming effect on our souls. His instruction will teach us how to walk in His Kingdom, and overcome adversity. Our heavenly Father is our true Tower of Strength, our Safe Place, and Shelter.
“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law. That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the day of adversity” (Psalm 94:12-13a).
