I RECEIVE IT

Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked (Psalm 141:5 New King James Version).

None of us are so holy and righteous we are exempt from correction. Here the Psalmist is not only asking the Lord for rebuke and correction, he is also asking to be able to receive it. Christian growth includes being able to ask for and accept correction from God. For whom the Lord loves, He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights (Proverbs 3:12). In order for us to grow spiritually we are going to need correction at times. Recognizing and accepting correction is also a sign of spiritual maturity.

We have to be careful we don’t fall into the “I’m always right” or “I’m perfectly fine where I am” mindsets which sometimes is very easy to do. We get to a comfortable spiritual place, and become complacent and content there. The dangerous thing about this place is we shut our eyes and ears to hear insight from the Lord, spoken through His word, through the Holy Spirit, or even through someone else. We tend to think we’ve got Christianity all figured out, not needing more than what we’ve already got, and frankly, it might be uncomfortable to go after any more.

I’ve got news for you, God is not a God of keeping one comfortable. He challenges us to trust Him more. He questions us to see our motives for doing what we do. He will bring discipline, correction and chastisement when necessary; and often this means we will have to step out of our comfort zones whether we want to or not.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. We wouldn’t be here this morning if it wasn’t for Your grace and love. We worship You and praise Your holy name! We ask for Your forgiveness today because we have been as stubborn mules. We know that in order to grow, we must be corrected and yet we tend to not want to hear or accept that correction. Lord, remove from us our prideful spirits. Grant us grace and teach us humility to accept Your rebuke, and let Your light shine on our paths. We give to You this day and ask that You remain in control. All honor and glory are Yours! In your name, Jesus, we pray. Amen!

Today’s Attitude of Worship: If you’ve become stuck in a spiritual rut; routine; comfortable; belligerent in your Scripture application and interpretation and you feel as though you are being challenged and others are against you, get into the presence of God, and seek His face. It may be He has begun to bring correction into your life. Perhaps for a chain of thought, an attitude, a belief; whatever it is, humble yourself to accept it and follow His path to correction.

Additional Scriptures: Job 5:17; Proverbs 3:11; Proverbs 10:17; Proverbs 12:1; Hebrews 12:9

Shalom,

Prudence