BECAUSE HE LOVES US, GOD CORRECTS US WHEN WE ARE OFF COURSE

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Correct me, LORD, but only with justice -- not in Your anger,
lest You reduce me to nothing. 
(Jeremiah 10:24)

MEDITATION:
I think we could all agree than none of us relish being corrected.
When we were children, 
correction usually meant punishment for something we did wrong.
When we are adults and children of God, 
hopefully we realize the value of His corrections. 

When we were children, we didn’t see the value of being corrected.
All we could understand was,
we had to do things differently than what our selfish desires dictated.
As adults, we can also allow our selfishness to rule our lives.
And when we do, we have a Heavenly Father who loves us enough 
to help us change our direction, and live a life that is pleasing to Him.

God is love! 
God is also holy and righteous! 
If He did not lovingly and tenderly correct us, 
none of us would be on a path to become more like His Son, Jesus.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them 
and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is 
how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on 
the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. (1 John 4:14-17)

Without His corrections, we cannot have the love He has for people.
Instead of having our minds renewed in order to please God, 
we will remain influenced by the guidelines established by the world
(when scriptures make reference to the ‘world’, they are referring 
to anything and everything that is in opposition to God).

However, our God has chosen to give us His undeserved mercy 
and kindness as He corrects us and molds us to be more like Him. 
And when we embrace His corrections, we no longer conform 
to the pattern of the world, but our minds develop a new filter 
that allows us to better understand and accept God’s Will for our lives.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed 
by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve 
what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

ACTION:
Aren’t you glad that God loves YOU enough 
to help you live a life that is good for you and pleasing to Him?
Just as we correct our own children to protect and teach them,
God’s corrections are meant for your good.

He does not want to beat you down into a state of discouragement;
His purpose in correcting you is to help you enjoy a life of peace and joy.
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, 
so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” (John 17:13)
Jesus wants His disciples to have the kind of joy He has.

As a follower of Christ, you are included as a disciple, 
so He wants you to have His joy in your heart and life.
For that to happen, corrections are necessary.
Rather than resenting them, learn to be grateful and embrace God’s corrections.
Learn from them so that you can experience joy and be pleasing to Him.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, although they can disrupt my life and be contrary 
to my selfish desires, thank You for loving me enough to correct me 
whenever I am going in a wrong direction. Forgive me for the times 
I have resented Your efforts to help me. I am thankful that You are a 
loving, forgiving and merciful Father who cares about me and my life. 
Help me to see the value of Your corrections so that my joy will increase 
and I can live a life that pleases You and points others to Your Son, Jesus.
I truly want my character and attitude to become more like Yours.” 

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