A Loving Heavenly Father

The Love Of A Father (Hebrews 12:5-11, Jeriniah 31:1-10) We find in our scripture today, discipline, though needed, is not an enjoyable thing to do. But discipline should happen because of love. We see that God disciplined His chosen people because of disobedience and unfaithfulness in following God's loving orders Part of that discipline was Jeruselem was destroyed and the people were exiled to Babylon (Jeremiah 1:14-16; 5:15-19; 6:22-23; 25:9-11). But when God was done disciplining He brought them home.(30:8-17), He restored their privileges as His chosen people. (vv. 18-24), but mostly He made a way for His people to restore their relationship ith Him. (ch. 31). Why did God have such love for these people who were unfaithful and disobedient and with every time He gave them lead way, they disobeyed and walked away from Him. We He had a special love, forgiveness in His heart and mercy for their souls. Alsi it points out, God was Isreals Father. And [Ephrim] is [his] firstborn son”, (note His first born) (v. 9). God made sure they knew that His love was an everlasting love; He said, "I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (v. 3). WE must understand that God’s discipline does not even come close to how much He loves us. “the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:12). I am sure God loves me/us plus He als pursues me/us with His everlasting love. Lets take a look at how God disciplines us His children out of love, not anger, He wants us to live holy wholsome live so that we will grow into maturity, and learn to trust Him more and more, HE was acting like a loving father correcting his children here on earth. (Hebrews 12:5-11). God's disciple is a refining process, and it comes in the form of trials, struggles and actual correction that will serve its purpose in training, sanctifing, and align each one of us with His purpose for our lives, yes, he has a purpose for you from the day you are born, and the main one is to share in His righteousness.. God's Loving Disciplineis, Proof we have a relationship to God because we are His child and a loving Father discipines His children. If God is not disciplining you, then I would venture to believe you are not born again as His child. (Hebrews 12:8). AS I said aboive, God wants us to live Holy and wholsome lives. His goal is to produce a crop of righteousness, love, forgiveness, grace and peace in us. And not producing more sin, that has already been paid for by Jesus death on the cross. So then, God's discipline is a prevention rather than a cure. Just like taking a pill to keep you from getting malaria, rather than being treated for malaria once you have it. So I see the difficulties and trials God allows me to face as a prevention or warnings against sin. So He allows these difficulties to strengthen, purify, and prevent us as beleiver from falling back into sin. And we learn to depend on Him and His strength every day. If you don't believe me, take it directly from the scriptures in (Proverbs 3:12, Hebrews 12:6), they say "the Lord disciplines the one he loves". This is always hard and challenging, for us as believer to accept, but it works, in the end we are glad He did because it has kept us out of a lot of harm. Ultimatly it was and is all for our good. I understand now, the love a father has for His children, but also the love a father has for His frist born. A father's love for his firstborn is a very transforming and special time in a mans life. It is that pivotal moment, when not only are you a man and a husband but you have become a parent, a father, and you are about to redefining your world for the rest of your life. For me, my priorities changed, I now not only had myself and my wife to care for, but I had a little gift from God to take care of.. She became my responsibility under God. She was the begining of building my capacity for unconditional love, not only for her, but for each one of our children that would come along. The bond is characterized between child and father brought with it a fatherly pride that I never had before that.. There was a protective instinct, like I had never know before. I now, whether I wanted to or not start experiencing a lot of firsts that I had never experienced before, all at the same time, it was a hard change over, likely the biggest I have ever experienced in my life. But within that love of the Father, that He had given me, it creates a unique, lasting connection, between my first born and equally with each of my child that followed. Some of those changes was in the arrival, from the very first moment that baby was layed in my arms the fatherly perspective came instantly and it has never left. The world all of a sudden felt different, but yet, my goals and my priorities were clear, I had a new challenge to face and with Gods help, I knew I could do it. From that new beginning of the first child to the last, each one taught me more and more how to be the father God wanted me to be. There is a special place in my heart for each one who taught me patience in Gods unconditional love for them and for me. This love materiallized and was characterized by my wedding vow promise to be present in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer intil death do we part. I knew that promise was not only for my wife, but I was to to protect, and to support my children through all of life's stages, as much as I am able to and have the strength to do so. I must say, over all it has been a joy to watch our children mature and take on lifes challenges in marriage and in becoming parents, I pray that they will see this challenge as a God given love to develop them into the people He planned for them to be. I have heard, fathers often describe,this challenge as love bringing pure joyi into their lives, friends it should be a deep fascination, being the greatest love they have ever known. Believe me when I tell you, I can say from experience, it has been a relationship that has served in my life as a "masterclass" in love, patence and teaching me as a fathers how to balance guidance/discipline with affectionate love, learning how to nurture a bond that grows stronger over time. My prayer is that those values and principles, I planted into each of my children will carry them closer to God, rather than farther away from Him. At times, the enemy sneaks in and tells me I have failed, But God over powers my enemy and I am encouraged once again to love and charish my wife and to continue to pray for the development of my children and grand childen, in which I will do, intil my death and God takes me home. Father God thank you for your loving discipline and the love that will one day be brought HOME TO YOU. AMEN