Hebrews 12:4-6 NIV
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Have you ever cried out to God about a sin or struggle in your life that you want him to take away? The more you cry, the more the silence grew. I have been there many times. God led me to this passage during one of my prayers regarding a trait in my character that I know is not pleasing to him. Initially, when I read this passage, I did not understand what the Spirit of the living God was teaching me. I asked God to reveal to me what he wants me to learn from the passage beyond Jesus resisting Satan to the point that he willingly died for my sins. The one lesson God has taught me through this experience is that crying alone does not move God, but a broken and repentant lifestyle moves God. As I read through Jesus' ministry, I see a pattern of speech every time he heals someone. He either reminds them to leave their sinful ways or not to return to their sinful life or go tell others what the Lord has done for you. Our God is a merciful father. He also has expectations for those who decide to follow him (Mathew 16:24). God may forgive our sins, but the consequences of our sins is ours to bear. If the consequences were taken away, I believe God knows we would never learn and grow. One of the many examples in the Bible is king David in 2 Samuel chapter 11-12, God forgave him of his sins, but the consequences was his to bear. What sin(s) do you have in your life that you have not decided to drastically get rid of where your repentance feels as if you are shedding your blood? If you are pondering, how do I get to that point? Reads Hebrews 4:12-13. God love us and wants us to have victories. In our struggles, God might seem to be far away or neglecting us. He is only pruning us for his glory and for a greater path in our lives because we were all created for his glory (Romans 11:36). Therefore, through your struggles ask him to teach you what you should learn because “He disciplines the one he loves.”
