“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11-13)
I recently saw a story about a young man in Texas who was driving down the highway, on an errand to buy his grandma a birthday gift, when he realized his SUV would not stop the cruise control feature.
A police officer pulled right in front of the driver, and braked, to try to stop the out of control vehicle. It didn’t work, but he attempted again. . . and again. After 20 miles, the vehicle finally stopped just a few blocks from a downtown town.
Is your cruise control stuck?
I can easily slip into cruise control in my life. I deal with the challenges, I slip into coping mode instead of seeking out God. I go through the motions. I tell myself, “I just need to get through this (whatever this may be) and then I will spend some time just hanging out with God.” Before I know it days have passed, sometimes weeks, and then I wonder why I feel stale in my spiritual walk.
Thankfully, God sends out help when he sees our cruise control stuck. Sometimes these come in joyous moments that jump in front of us, just like that police officer, and slow us down. Other times, God can’t seem to get our attention through joy, so it takes a less appealing event that can bring us back to our knees.
When God sends that car in front of you, braking to slow you down or guide you, the slamming of the “vehicles” seems painful; it has awful scraping sounds and a hard jolt. Through this experience, however, we are being “trained. And note how the scripture says and if we learn from it, the outcome can be a harvest of both righteousness and peace.
Prayer: God, sometimes I get going at my own speed and forget to search you out for the paths I should follow. When you send discipline my way, when you step in front of me to slow me down, let me recognize it for the salvation it is, and make me wise enough to be trained by it.
About the Author
Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries. She is the author of Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend . Lisa has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since 1993 and resides in San Diego with her husband and son.
You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com
What does it look like in your life when God steps in front of you to slow you down? How has God provided experiences or guidance to get you back on track when life has become a distraction?
I recently saw a story about a young man in Texas who was driving down the highway, on an errand to buy his grandma a birthday gift, when he realized his SUV would not stop the cruise control feature.
A police officer pulled right in front of the driver, and braked, to try to stop the out of control vehicle. It didn’t work, but he attempted again. . . and again. After 20 miles, the vehicle finally stopped just a few blocks from a downtown town.
Is your cruise control stuck?
I can easily slip into cruise control in my life. I deal with the challenges, I slip into coping mode instead of seeking out God. I go through the motions. I tell myself, “I just need to get through this (whatever this may be) and then I will spend some time just hanging out with God.” Before I know it days have passed, sometimes weeks, and then I wonder why I feel stale in my spiritual walk.
Thankfully, God sends out help when he sees our cruise control stuck. Sometimes these come in joyous moments that jump in front of us, just like that police officer, and slow us down. Other times, God can’t seem to get our attention through joy, so it takes a less appealing event that can bring us back to our knees.
When God sends that car in front of you, braking to slow you down or guide you, the slamming of the “vehicles” seems painful; it has awful scraping sounds and a hard jolt. Through this experience, however, we are being “trained. And note how the scripture says and if we learn from it, the outcome can be a harvest of both righteousness and peace.
Prayer: God, sometimes I get going at my own speed and forget to search you out for the paths I should follow. When you send discipline my way, when you step in front of me to slow me down, let me recognize it for the salvation it is, and make me wise enough to be trained by it.
About the Author Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries. She is the author of Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend . Lisa has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since 1993 and resides in San Diego with her husband and son.
You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com