ICS Daily Devotions
God Is Forming Us
Hebrews 12:7-11 (ESV) It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by
it.
As part of the Christian walk we should always be changing, forming and growing. We may have great desire and heart for God but there are still things in our life that need to be formed and shaped. God wants to form us into His glory. When we pray to God ‘Let your will be done,’ apart from other things we are asking God to work in our innermost being as well.
It is not until we are in certain situations that we often see what is inside of us. When we find our faith being tested or situations are difficult and challenging, then things come up on the surface that are not always pleasant. The author of Hebrews speaks about a God that disciplines and chastens His sons and daughters. Earthly fathers also discipline there children when there is a need. Not to harm them, but actually to keep them away from harm.
If we have been respectful of the corrections of our earthly fathers, how much more should we be ready to be corrected by our heavenly father when there are things in our lives that need correction. It is important to note that an earthly, good father would never cause his children to be harmed intentionally to teach them a lesson. They would not break a bone or make them really sick so they get tougher. The same case is with God. He will never teach us a lesson by giving us sickness, pain, or misery. God is a good God. When speaking of correction and discipline of God , we must never get
the wrong image of Him. As the Bible says, when we yield to His correction, it will bring about greater
holiness and living out in righteousness.
We need to be sensitive how God wants to form our lives through circumstances and events. Lester Sumrall was a great man of God that was known preacher and minister. When he started ministry, he had no special love and patience with people. It was done more out of necessity as he was preaching. If people would not respond to his message, he would become angry scolding them for being ignorant not to receive Christ or repent. He chose to live and serve, but there was no compassion for the calling of God and no actual longing to see people saved.
However, something changed in him once God showed him a vision of all the different nationalities and people in the world. The group of people was walking on a highway and at the end of the road they would fall for their damnation because they did not have Christ in their heart. God spoke to him about the importance to preach the gospel in order for people to turn from eternal death. In this way, he was given a compassion for the lost he had never experienced before. His life and ministry changed.
Our own story may often be similar. We can be a little rough around the edges so we need God to smooth us, form us and change us so that we can become all that He intended for us to be. Then we can become the vessels of honor that may bring a lot of fruit to the heavenly Kingdom.
Sermon Series: God is Forming Us
