(Today's message is from one of nearly 12 years ago, but it is a good reminder for us at the present time. Be blessed and reassured.)

"Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord, The man you teach from your law." Psalm 94:12

Did you know that discipline is a mark of the Father's love and therefore it is a blessing? Discipline (chastisement in some translations) is for training and correction. This is a characteristic of an earthly father's love for his child. That being so, how much more is it necessary for our heavenly Father who loves us beyond measure? Our heavenly Father promised to write His law on the hearts of His own. Through trials and circumstances we come to know the Lord and His ways. We may come to know ABOUT Him from reading books, but we come to KNOW Him in a personal relationship, experientially, through these trials, circumstances and His word. Let's see what Scripture tells us.

"Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord Your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son." Deuteronomy 8:5 (This tells of God's gracious dealing with the Israelites in the desert. Read Vs. 1-6 to understand the 'Thus' in our verse.)

"My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, Or loathe His reproof, For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father the son in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:11-12

Jesus speaking,
"...Every branch that bears fruit, He (the Father) prunes it, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:1 (My parenthesis) "I am the vine, you are the branches..." Vs. 5

"...He disciplines us for our good that we may share His holiness." Hebrews 12:10 (Read Vs. 1-13 concerning the Father's discipline. We have looked at some of these verses in the past, but it is good to be reminded that it is because of the Father's great love that He disciplines us.)

These are the promises to the afflicted:
"His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for a night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the Lord delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:19

"For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison." 2 Corinthians 4:17

And we can not forget one of my favorite promises of God, Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

The afflictions of the righteous lead to happiness:
"Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty." Job 5:17

"Behold, we count those blessed who endured, You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful." James 5:11

I close with our beginning Scripture from the Amplified Bible, "Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law."

How gracious and loving is our heavenly Father! Lovingly, He provides our trials and testings, He goes through each one with us. He never gives any that are beyond us to endure and when we have learned what He desires in the test, He blesses us with His own joy!

We give all praise, honor and glory to you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen