THE LORD SPOKE (December 15)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Amos 1-3

Tevya the milkman in Fiddler on the Roof puts it so well. After considering all the suffering of the Jewish people, he turns his eyes toward Heaven and asks, “Would you mind choosing someone else for awhile?”

Amos quotes God as saying to Israel, “You only I have chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins” (3:2). With choice comes challenge. With favor comes firmness. With privilege comes responsibility. Being “God’s chosen people” has not always been easy. In fact, it never has. But the burden that comes with the blessing is worth it. The rights that come with the responsibility are a reward.

God’s purpose in choosing Israel was that they might be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6). In the first two chapters, Amos identifies six nations surrounding Israel and pronounces God’s judgment upon each one for not responding to that light. But then Amos turns the spotlight on Judah (2:4-5) and Israel (2:6-16) and similar judgment is delivered because “they have rejected the law of the Lord” (2:4) and did not listen to His prophets (2:11).

God takes greater interest in His own children. He will hold all accountable but His relationship with His chosen ones is a passion with Him. He delivers them from the house of bondage (2:10; 3:1), gives them prophets as His special messengers (2:11; 3:7), and shepherds His people Israel (3:12; see also Jeremiah 31:10 and Psalm 80:1).

You only punish those you care about. So, when God punishes Israel (3:14), He is declaring His love for her. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11; see also II Corinthians 4:17).

It was (and is) true for Israel. It’s still true today. So consider this, if God’s hand is heavy upon you now, it’s because He cherishes you and wants you to come back to Himself.


Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15 makes a notable contribution to our understanding of discipline:

vs. 5 - “A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.”

vs. 10 - “Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.”

vs. 12 - “A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.”

vs. 31 - “He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.”

vs. 32 - “He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.”

Who wants to be disciplined? The emphasis of these proverbs is not that one likes to be disciplined. What is condemned here is that you should “hate”, “resent”, or “ignore” discipline.

What you need to want are the results that come from a disciplined life. He who “heeds” or listens to correction will attain the balance desired in life. The results are “wisdom” and “understanding” (or what Solomon calls “prudence” in Prov. 15:5). To hate correction will cancel out this benefit. Since discipline will come whether you heed it or hate it, it’s best that you receive the good that is intended. Be careful to learn the lessons that discipline is intended to teach you.

Better yet is to discipline yourself than that you should fall under discipline from the hand of God. By saying “no” to excesses, to inconsistencies, to laziness, to secret or open sins, to temptations, to desires of the flesh and not of the spirit, to indulgences, or to any other activity that detracts from your movement towards Christ-likeness - that is the way of wisdom.