February 25, 2022

Passage Read: Ezra 6-9
Meditation Verses: 9:13-14

Thought

There is such a danger to misunderstand the grace and kindness of God. When He punishes His people, He holds back part of His wrath so as not to completely destroy us. But we can misunderstand that and miss that we were suffering punishment, that God was displeased with a certain behavior. And then we go right back into it when the trouble passes. God doesn't make it hard to understand what behavior He hates and what He desires. It's not hard to understand the Lord's will. What He says I should do. And if I know His word well, then I'll know when I'm being punished and when I'm being attacked by the enemy; I'll know when I'm doing wrong and when I'm doing right.

Application

If I know some behavior is wrong, then I need to stay away from it. If God brings discipline into my life, I need to learn and change by it. I don't want to go right back to that wrong behavior as soon as God removes His discipline.