Daily Devotions
The Tragedy of Forgetting Discipline
Reading for January 21st: Exodus 10-12
Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the LORD your God only to remove this death from me."
Exodus 10:16-17
There are natural consequences to sin, and God uses these consequences to get our attention. But what happens after our circumstances improve? What happens when God restores peace and order to our lives? Do we continue to serve God? Or do we go back to sin once again?
Sadly, sometimes we do the same thing Pharaoh did over and over again. We go back and sin again.
It is comforting to know that we serve a God who is patient and will continue to discipline us with his rod to bring us back. But let us not assume that the rod of correction will always be there to bring us back. Paul speaks of people whom God gave up to the lusts of their hearts (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). I'm not totally sure what that means, but it might mean that the restraining influence of God's chastening no longer has any effect on us, and thus God stops trying.
So, my appeal to you is to pay attention when God is disciplining you. If there is a clear connection between your sin and the suffering you're experiencing right now, don't waste this opportunity. Repent! Do it immediately!
And when your life returns to normal, don't forget the lesson you learned. You may not get another chance to repent.
Father, thank you for loving us enough to discipline us. Help us to love and serve you consistently throughout our life, in bad times and in good.
