The Kindness and Discipline of Our Heavenly Father
Hebrews 12 v 5-6
My son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the lord loves he chastens, and he scourges every son whom he receives.
Proverbs 3 v 12
For the lord disciplines the one he loves, as does a father the son he delights in.
Exodus 9 v 15-16
Now if I had stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this purpose I have raised y0u up that I may show my power in you, that my name may be declared in all the earth.
In Exodus 9, the Lord is dialoguing with Moses, about the seventh plague that He was about to release upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The Lord makes it clear, that if He (the Lord) had decided to deal with Pharoah on day one, He could have completely removed him and his people, from the Earth forever; without bothering with any plagues at all. He really did not need to send plagues to seal the deliverance of His people Israel. The reason the Lord sent the plagues, was to show His power, judgment, mercy and differentiation of the Godly from the wicked. He intended to give a clear message to everyone on earth, from that generation to the last generation, that He is all powerful, and able to deliver His people from the most horrendous oppression.
The Lord said to Moses, that He had raised Pharoah up for the purpose of showing His power. He had allowed the evil, stubbornness of Pharoah to be so great that he refused to let the Egyptians go, even though his own people (Ex 10v7) got to the point where they begged Pharaoh to let the Israelites go free; proclaiming to him that Egypt was as good as destroyed! The Egyptians, could now see the favour of God on Moses. Exodus 11 v 2 tells us that they revered Moses and even favoured the Israelites, willing to give them their gold when they asked for it!
The Lord raised up Pharaoh by allowing pride to grow in his heart. He did not discipline him as a Father disciplines those he loves. Each time Pharoah succeeded in his own evil doing – the Lord remained silent. He watched over the circumstances of Pharoah’s life, allowing him to become great in his own eyes, allowing him to believe in his own immortality as one that was considered to be half god and half human.
The Lord watches over the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He lovingly corrects us through circumstances, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. There is no situation, mistake or disaster in your life that the Lord is not able to get glory from. The key is to submit and surrender to the Lord in every circumstance. Once this is done, the Lord is able to turn around the situation for the good and furtherance of His kingdom. Once we submit to the Lord, He is able to heal us from the disasters and challenges in our lives at an incredible speed. He is able to redeem all things and use the tough circumstances and heart breaks to teach us more secrets of His kingdom; and prepare us to be glory carriers and noble vessels. There is no situation that is beyond the redemptive power of the Lord. There is nothing that you cannot walk through and come forth as gold. He is faithfully committed to our lives in ways we could not begin to imagine. Let us determine to be laid down lovers of Him, surrendering every situation. Triumphing over every circumstance by determining not to be mastered by anything. The Lord’s discipline is a precious thing, let's receive it as beloved children of a wonderful father.
Written by Lisa Martin