God's discipline and healing brings fruit

My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline,

but don't be crushed by it either.

It's the child he loves that he disciplines;

the child he embraces, he also corrects.

Hebrews 12:5-6 The Message 

Who enjoys being disciplined? Not me. 

Around September last year I felt God was talking to me about having more discipline in an area of my life. I listened to what He was asking me to do and tried to follow through on what He was asking. 

However, I was trying in my strength and I kept failing. Eventually I just stopped trying. I gave up, put it in the too hard basket - because it was too hard for me to do alone. I had forgotten that God doesn't ask us to change, and then leave us, expecting us to make the change ourselves. No, he loves us and wants to walk with us through the change. He lovingly trains us.

God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children.  Hebrews 12:7 The Message

While on holidays in January I took the opportunity to go to a worship night at a church my friend attends. It was two hours of beautiful worship, heavy with the presence of God. During the worship time I felt God again talk to me about having more discipline in that area of my life. But this time He spoke about it in context of my future and my family's future, as if to say, this change is vital for your family's future well-being.

Okay, I got the message loud and clear. I had no idea how I was going to make the change, after failing so many times before. However, I had heard from God and decided to trust Him and try again, but this time involving Him.

Towards the end of the night, the worship leader said, 'God has done miracles here tonight'. I heard it but didn't fully realise what God had done in my life that night.

Since that night I have done many times over what God had asked me to do, the first couple of times were a struggle, but then it has been so easy. I am in awe of what God did in that beautiful time of worship. He healed something in me, and that healing is now enabling me to do exactly as He has asked, with no striving on my part. It has all been by His Spirit.

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’Says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 NKVJ

That healing needed to happen before I could develop the discipline that God had spoken to me about. Since that night I have seen glimpses of what God was talking about when he spoke of the future well-being of our family. And I am so grateful to Him. He has restored hope into an area of my life that I thought was hopeless.

My prayer is that in sharing this story that you will be encouraged to keep pursuing what God has asked you to do, even where they has been failure. And continually make sure that you let His Spirit direct, guide and when needed, bring healing. Be expectant of the fruit that will come.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11