Hebrews 12
April 28, 2022
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (v11)
God’s discipline involves hardship (v7), which by definition is hard. It’s painful, not pleasant. I know when something hard is happening to me, my first thought is, “Lord, rescue me out of this situation!” That’s not a bad prayer. But when He doesn’t get me out of the situation, it’s a clue that God has a deeper purpose than rescuing me; He wants to produce a “harvest of righteousness” (v11) in me. God’s endgame is not just saving me, but sanctifying me - so that I look more like Jesus, so that I “may share in His holiness” (v10), since “without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (v14).
Lord, I praise You for Your salvation (which is done), and for Your sanctification (which You are doing). Forgive me for resisting the hard stuff of my life instead of embracing it as Your gracious discipline. Even now, as I prepare for a full day of ministry - my focus is on how much my back hurts. I do ask for healing and relief. But even if You don’t heal me physically, I trust that You are using this pain to deepen my dependence on You, and to purify me from needing everything to go my way. Even today, may Your power be made perfect in my weakness. I trust that You are fathering me even through this pain - for Your glory and my good!
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
