Self-Denial 2023: Tough Love
Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O Lord, and whom You teach out of Your Law; That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity.
Psalm 94:12-13 (NASB)
Reproofs for discipline are the way of life.
Proverbs 6:23 (NASB)
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
Sometimes love is tough. Like… loving mean people or loving ourselves. Like loving rules so hard to follow. The Old Testament is filled with hard rules. Without a doubt, God made them to help us, but we got selfish and stiffened our necks.
So Jesus came and fulfilled every Law. (He did it for us, because we couldn’t). Then He passed His flawless record to us. In the process, He simplified God’s Rules.
Nevertheless, following Him and Them requires the tough love of self-denial. But when we indulge instead of deny, we’ve set ourselves up for a painful fall!
‘If you love me, you will keep My Commandments’ (John 14:15). God warns us what will happen if we don’t.
'Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows' (Galatians 6:7). 'His mischief will return upon his own head' (Psalm 7:16).
Basically, we’ve got two ways to learn:
From the Word of God, (or)
From harmful mistakes.
‘The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child’ (Henrews 12:6); ‘Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your Law’ (Psalm 94:12).
Therefore, we thank God for course corrections, and even His tough-love consequences…
Here’s the thing: Suffering here and now, when we can repent, is infinitely more desirable than suffering the tortures of hellfire.
Self-Denial 2023: Tough Love (Part 7)
NOTE: This is a 2022 update of a 2012 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors,
Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.