Torn and Smitten part 2
The natural, carnal mind seems to operate under the idea that we have to go through suffering in order to earn a reward. As if to say we have to go through the bad in order to get to the good. We have this idea that God has to tear and smite us before He can heal us and bind us up. But that's not what our key memory verse in Hosea 6:1-2 says: "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." Notice that when "we" are mentioned... its only on the healing and binding part. Because its all Jesus. Jesus was torn and smitten... by the world. By religious folk. And then, two days later--in the third day--WE were raised up. Jesus didn't just die FOR us, He died AS us. And when He rose again WE rose again. Jesus did all of the heavy lifting so that we could get all of the inheritance that was due to the firstborn Son. God isn't out there, sitting on a cloud, holding a lightning bolt, waiting to get us when we mess up. He is living in us, loving the hell out of us, holding us up so that we don't HAVE to mess up. What parent WANTS their child to stumble and fall? No true parent. No true Father. The Father provides. Protects. And, yes, chastens and corrects. I think I've mentioned this twice now, so I'll go ahead and quote it. "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth" (Proverbs 3:12). And echoed again in Hebrews 12:6-7, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourageth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" And, listen, I work in an elementary school. I see--immediately and easily--the difference between kids who have parents that chasten and correct them... and kids who have parents that don't. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it seems like there are WAY more parents out there who... don't. But let me say this--I discipline my kid BECAUSE I love him. He doesn't always like it, and I don't always like it either, but we're both better off for it. The point I'm trying to make is that there is a difference between chastening and correcting--which is good and proper--and tearing and smiting. Putting someone through the wringer in order to force them to earn something (especially love and acceptance) is just plain wrong. You don't have to destroy someone just so you can put them back together. The world does a good enough job of knocking us down that all we should ever be doing is lifting each other up. And, as always, I want to make sure I'm not being misunderstood when I say things like this. Because I DO NOT believe you should ever put, or keep, yourself in a bad situation. Loving someone doesn't mean letting them use you and abuse you. Loving someone means giving them everything you have and everything you are... and knowing that once you do that its either enough, or its not. And either way, at that point, you've done your part. You've done what you can do. So don't be afraid to accept chastening and correction from your father (your Father). But don't think you have to be torn and smitten in order to "earn" something good on the other side. We DO go through things, in order to get to the other side, but its not God doing evil to us so that He can do good to us. I think this is where I'm going to be tomorrow, but I'll end today with the truth that even when things LOOK evil, all things work together for GOOD!