Day 137, or May the 17th. God disciplines those He loves.
Our thoughts today are rooted in Job chapter 5 verse 17.
Blessed is the one whom God corrects, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
Now the big picture surrounding this verse.
This passage contains the first exchanges between Job and his friend Eliphaz the Temanite,
who makes it very clear that he believes if you're innocent you won't suffer.
Job has obviously done something wrong, so he should just accept what happens to him
because he deserves it.
He advises Job to simply trust God, as God obviously knows best every time.
Job challenges Eliphaz to show him the sins for which he is being punished, and then he
will be silent.
Eliphaz can't reveal them because he can't find any, but it doesn't stop him probing
and prodding and criticizing Job.
He continues by pompously telling Job that there's nothing wrong with being punished
by God, he should stop complaining and take it on the chin, like a man.
And now today's action step.
I don't know anyone who enjoys being punished, especially when they protest their genuine
innocence.
However, this is the advice I pass on to you from the mouth of Eliphaz, one of Job's friends.
Benefit from your punishment and grow because of it.
Don't let it be a barrier where you fall, but see it as a step of maturity so you can
grow because of it.
There will definitely be times in the coming days when you are condemned unjustly, so I
challenge you now to make this negative into a positive.
Ask yourself how to get something out of the experience rather than allow the experience
to take something away from you.
Ask God to teach you so that you may be a beneficiary.
You will discover a massive side benefit as you become much more useful and effective
when you see others going through similar difficulties.
Whether it is a physical, spiritual or mental issue, squeeze benefit from it and then get
ready for the next one.