Discipline
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
Genesis 29:22-25
Have you ever had a moment where your sins were laid bare? Where you were deeply confronted by a reality you had maybe tried to hide from?
I reckon that could be Jacob here in this moment. Listen to his words… why have you deceived me?
Only a short time ago it was Jacob who was doing the deceiving when he manipulated first Esau into giving up his birthright and then later, Isaac (his father) into giving Jacob the blessing he meant for Esau.
Now Jacob has a moment. An opportunity. He has been deceived and it seems obvious that God is at work to confront him with his own sin. To be honest, I’m not convinced that Jacob does take it. Instead, sadly, he will return to his deceptive ways in revenge on Laban.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from Jacob’s opportunity. Our sins usually have consequences. And by God’s grace (yes God’s grace), sometimes we experience the consequences of our sin in a way that reveals them to us. These are God-given opportunities for growth.
This is God’s discipline of His children. To help us to be more like Jesus. As the writer of Hebrews says, discipline is never pleasant. Sometimes it is really painful. But God is producing in us something incredibly valuable - holiness, righteousness and peace.
Can I encourage you? When you are confronted with your sins. When you experience some of the consequences. Take the opportunity to grow. To change. To become more like the person God wants you to be. It’s hard. But it’s worth it.
For Today:
Pray:
Praise the Father that He disciplines His children to help them become more like Jesus. Give thanks for Jesus who was the perfect Son of God. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others grow more like Jesus today.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
Genesis 29:22-25
Have you ever had a moment where your sins were laid bare? Where you were deeply confronted by a reality you had maybe tried to hide from?
I reckon that could be Jacob here in this moment. Listen to his words… why have you deceived me?
Only a short time ago it was Jacob who was doing the deceiving when he manipulated first Esau into giving up his birthright and then later, Isaac (his father) into giving Jacob the blessing he meant for Esau.
Now Jacob has a moment. An opportunity. He has been deceived and it seems obvious that God is at work to confront him with his own sin. To be honest, I’m not convinced that Jacob does take it. Instead, sadly, he will return to his deceptive ways in revenge on Laban.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from Jacob’s opportunity. Our sins usually have consequences. And by God’s grace (yes God’s grace), sometimes we experience the consequences of our sin in a way that reveals them to us. These are God-given opportunities for growth.
This is God’s discipline of His children. To help us to be more like Jesus. As the writer of Hebrews says, discipline is never pleasant. Sometimes it is really painful. But God is producing in us something incredibly valuable - holiness, righteousness and peace.
Can I encourage you? When you are confronted with your sins. When you experience some of the consequences. Take the opportunity to grow. To change. To become more like the person God wants you to be. It’s hard. But it’s worth it.
For Today:
- Are you experiencing the consequences of your sin in some way?
- How could God be encouraging you to grow?
- Give thanks that God disciplines us because He loves us.
Pray:
Praise the Father that He disciplines His children to help them become more like Jesus. Give thanks for Jesus who was the perfect Son of God. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others grow more like Jesus today.
Posted in Genesis
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