Passage Read: Psalm 79-82
Meditation Verses: 79:4-6
Thought
God is primarily concerned about the godliness of His own people, so we get disciplined for things that the nations do without hesitation! The nations can do all kinds of evil and God does little or nothing about it. Because they are not His people. They don't represent Him. He's not working to save and transform them into a people that shows forth His righteousness and character. God labors to train His people in His ways, so in real ways, we suffer more than those who don't know or care about the Lord. God does little to hold them back from destruction; He leaves them to their ways until they enter His judgment and then He condemns them eternally. But He's doing all He can to discipline and instruct us, so it can seem that the others are blessed while we who belong to Him are cursed. But it would be the worst decision to abandon the Lord to get relief from His training.
Application
That can certainly be tempting at times, to reject the Lord so as to get relief from His overwatch and discipline. He is jealous for His children and for His name. He wants us to learn to walk in His ways so He can bless us eternally. He sent His Son to forgive us and cleanse us and change us so that we can succeed in our retraining! He has proven that His motive and goal is love and good for me. He is not my enemy, but my dearest friend who speaks truth even though it hurts, who intervenes in my life constantly so that I would know and grow in His amazing likeness. I do not want to be deceived by the freedom that unbelievers seem to enjoy. They are on track for eternal torment; God's discipline today keeps me on track for eternal joy. I shouldn't be discouraged by frequent or even constant discipline, because that is the sign that I belong to Him and He has great expectations for me. It is the sign of God's choosing of me and counting me His own. Instead of complaining about it and resisting it, I need to recognize and learn the lessons He is trying to teach me.