Christians, Chastening and Character

Today’s Scripture Threshings for Saturday, February 16 , 2019

Today’s Text: Proverbs 3:7-14

Key Verse: ”My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (vv. 11,12, KJV)

Character is the moral qualities distinctive to an individual We judge people’s personality, not based on intelligence, competence, or special talents, but based on the strength of their character personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person. The Christian character matters to God. If we do not despise, or make light the chastening hand of God in our lives, they are meant to make us wise, and sharpen us as fire refines the character of gold.

Unfortunately we often make light, the correction of God. We fail to see that some of our heavy trials and difficult times are God’s means of caution and correction. Instead, we see he enemy’s hand in the trial. We are too pained to perceive or admit the benefits of our difficult moments — and even when do, we don’t acknowledge Him enough or at all. But God brings his rod and staff upon us not to crush us, but to comfort us. Mostly, he takes us aside like Moses and shows us fire. But His fire is not to burn or consume. It is to chastens and corrects us in order to circumvent worldly ambitions. He wants to present us to Himself a glorious Church with spot or wrinkles or any such things. He wants to remove our self-righteous pride, or self-sufficient delusions.

We despise His correction when we think we have gone past God’s lesson notes: we think we’re not walking in any besetting, known, or obvious sin; we don’t usually admit our pride; we only commend ourselves to be humble; but God is never weary of us to give up chastening us. So why must we grow weary yielding His reproofs?! Just bear this in mind. You can never be punished anymore—Jesus Himself has borne your punishment on His cross; but He is the refiner, and you, His doré scrap gold, and His chastening is the furnace that removes impurities that remains. After the smelting process is done, He will recast only the well formed gold into shapes, but the unyielded ones back into furnace.

Quote for the Day: “Inculcating God’s chastening is like cultivating a perched heart or refining a doré gold. Its best advantage is not in humble acceptance of those chastisements; but in the reforming of our refractory nature in His character factory to forge His indelible shape on our consciousness and character.” (Simon Olatunji)

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me in any way I’ve been rebellious. Teach me to be submissive to your authority. Let your light shine on me so it may shine through me. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear those reproofs of yours whenever I err. Thank You for Your great love and tender mercy toward me. In your most precious name. Amen.

With all my Love and Prayer,

Simon Wale Olatunji, PhD

The Darling Bishop (DaBishop),

2321 S Belt Line Rd., Suite 144,

Grand Prairie TX 75051 USA

Email: reachingout@hopeforallnations.org

BBMme: E3F988D2

[Today’s Scripture Threshings is a devotional guide of The House of Prayer Evangel Church USA. Feel free to use it in your family altar and personal quiet times; and to contact us for further enquiry, help and partnership.]

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