LEARNING DAILY

 

Isaiah 44:3, “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;”  God

 

In this blog, we have been considering some of the prophetic writing that God gave through the prophet Isaiah.  It is evident in the book of Isiah that God was not happy with His people for their continued worship of idols.  His discipline was going to happen if they did not repent.  There were plenty of opportunities for repentance; they did not do so.  Discipline occurred.  The forty-fourth chapter of Isaiah is about God’s blessing on Israel.  It is important for us to know that even when God disciplines His people it is only for a time (DJSB).

 

When was the last sermon you heard on God’s discipline?  It is not a very popular subject nor one that would make you feel really good, giving those goosebump things we like to get.  No, this subject is neglected.  But consider this verse in Hebrews 12, “My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when He corrects you, for the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes those He accepts as His children.” (NLT). The next verses in Hebrews 12 compares God’s discipline with an earthly father who disciplines his children so they will understand that doing the right thing will help them become better people.  God’s discipline is never out of anger, never inflicts pain (The hurt we feel is from disappointing Him to the point He has to discipline us.), and is never unfair; it comes from His love for us.  Always remember that His discipline is for the purpose of making us holy and to keep us on the narrow way to His kingdom.

 

There is another aspect to God’s discipline that we need to consider.  1 Timothy 4:7-8 tells us, “But reject profane and old wives fables and exercised (discipline) yourself toward godliness.  For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and that which is to come.” (NKJV).  I’m pretty sure God helps us to discipline ourselves to stay on the narrow way.  Just like so many in my family who go to the gym on a regular basis (I am quite proud of them being so disciplined!), it is more important to be disciplined in Bible study, prayer, church attendance in a Bible-based church.  Those disciplines help us as we walk in this ungodly world and the promise of God’s eternal kingdom.

 

Our heavenly Father wants to “pour water on him who is thirsty”.  He wants to “pour My Spirit on your descendants”.  That promise comes through His discipline. Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.  I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before Him?”  My encouragement to you this morning is to remove anything in your life that keeps you from walking with the Lord in this way.  Seek God like the deer seeks water and the promise is He will fill you with “floods on dry ground” and “blessing on your offspring”!  That is my daily prayer for all of my family and for each of you! 

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB