Welcome!
Today: No correction; no love
Passage: Job 5
17 “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.[a] 18 For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal. 19 From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you. 20 In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. 22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth. (Job 5, NIV84) –emphasis added
These are the words of Eliphaz, one of the three friends of Job who came to visit Job while he was going through hardships
These three friends heard about what Job was going through and they got together and came to visit Job. At first sight, they could not even recognize Job. For seven days, they sat with Job, nobody speaking anything. After seven days, Job started speaking and then Eliphaz started to talk
Eliphaz mentions about the God who corrects; the God who wounds and then binds up the wounds.
If we define “true love” as the one where no one ever corrects you, you could be wrong. True love involves correction
In the church today, many don’t like correction. As long as everything is given an “O.K” signal, there is no problem!
But God’s nature is different. The word of God is also a double-edged sword
It cleans, corrects and even cuts. The word also restores, revives and renews us
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. (John 15, NIV84)
What kind of preaching do we want to hear? Only that which says “God will make you the head and not the tail?” (Often, you need to become the “tail” first and then God will promote you to become the “head”!)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3, NIV84)
Sometimes, when the word corrects and rebukes, we may not like it. But we better submit to the authority of the word and admit our sins, instaed of justifying our actions and trying to twist the word
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.” (Daniel 10, NIV84)
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit[e] and they are life. (John 6, NIV84)
The word of God has everything we need: instruction, correction, blessings, guidance etc. Don’t look just for one type of messages.
God bless you, and the reading of God’s word
BG
Prayer: Father God, help me to know you more closely, and as you are, through the word. I can sense your love in different ways. Help me to accept it not only when you bless me, but also when you correct/chastise me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“True love is incomplete without correction”