Today's Word of Encouragement

JOY IN THE DISCIPLINE OF GOD’S WORD
Saturday, April 09, 2020

    I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me (Psalms 119:75).

    The verses in the ‘Yodh’ (Y) section of Psalm 119 (vv. 73-80) are not easy to embrace. Is David saying that God is faithful in afflicting him with His righteous judgments? Or is David saying that even in his faithfulness, God chooses to afflict him with righteous judgments?
    The word ‘afflict’ means to humble, often through trials and testing. Sometimes affliction is motivated by malice, hostility, or anger; sometimes it is motivated by love.

. . . you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faith when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons (Hebrews 12:5-8).

    We understand that David came to appreciate the discipline of God’s Word in his life because he realized it was for his benefit, his spiritual growth and development, his health and well-being that God continued to apply the truths and principles of His righteous Word into his life. And, he came to realize that God acted in this way because He loved David, therefore, he welcomed the discipline of God’s Word in his life.

    May Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight (Psalm 119:77).

Pastor Martin