TESTING, CHASTENING OR SCOURGING

Before this week the last time I posted a blog was on 6/26/12. I intented to start my next series immediately; however, my mind went on vacation. I have previously shared with you that writing is a challenge for me, and try as I might, I just could not pull myself together.  Thank God summer has passed, and I feel a wind behind me pushing me ahead (back into writing).

This past Sunday, a portion of the text from my Sunday school lesson made me stop and ponder. The text is as follows:

Hebrews 12: 5-11 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth 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? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

From this text, I surmised that our relationship with God could be in one of these modes: fellowship, testing, chastening, or scourging. After some reflection on this, I shared with my class that I felt it was essential for us to determine which mode we are in as we go through our life experiences.  We often blame our negative experiences on the devil; when it is not the devil, but God is interacting with us.

As I told my class to take time and analyze the situations they are going through; I am going to say the same to you.  Therefore, I am going to give you time to reflect on the following question before I share some of my thoughts about the above text in my next blog.

The question: How do you determine if it is the devil interacting with you, or is it God testing, chastening, or scourging you?

Also, remember I need your continued prays to be effective in this blogging. THANKS IN ADVANCE.