CHASTISEMENT

A song writer once wrote this song and it goes thus "Roll back the curtain of memories now and then, show me where you brought me from and where I should have been, remember I'm human and humans forget, so remind me, remind me dear Lord".

Born into a Christian family, brought up in the way of the Lord, doctrines taught, hymns sung, tradition kept, the laid down pattern followed and the Status quo maintained... But that did not make me different from the so called "sinner" out there who doesn't hide his or her own identity and actions, who commits outright sin and doesn't pretend to himself or anyone around, in fact I was worse because mine was been covered up by the facade of being called a Church girl.

Dying within, scared of going to Church whenever a true man of God was been invited for fear of been exposed by the Spirit of God through Word of knowledge, living in bondage and playing along with other Church people, held bound by the chains of sin and tormented by the fear of where I will spend eternity if anything happened to me.

Little did I know that there was Someone up there who sees and knows my hidden tears and unspoken words, who saw my inward cry for true freedom from the shackles of sin; Someone who Loved me far more than my earthly parent or anyone could ever love me and little did I know that He was working out something for me.

He came for me, Yes, He crossed all rivers, climbed all mountains, lighted up every shadow, brought down every wall and tore down every lie of the devil just to get to me and rescue me from drowning in my hopeless state. His Love fought for me and it won me over. No wonder the song, "Oh the love that sought me, oh the blood that bought me, oh the grace that brought me to the fold, wondrous grace that brought me to the fold"

That's how deep the Heavenly Father's Love is and even deeper. Then I repented of my sins and asked God for forgiveness, He took me in and called me His own...

I was Born again and anew into an Heavenly family, I became a joint heir with Christ and He gave me all of Heaven's benefit and started bringing me up afresh. He fed me with the sincere milk of the Word of God, He taught me things that I did not know before and things I was ignorant to; He shed His light abroad on my heart and He cared for me as a Father cares for his child.

I started growing up in His Presence and then I started taking my baby steps, crawling, standing, walking a little and falling down again. There were times I desired to remain on the ground because it seems so comfortable but I needed to grow, move forward and graduate from taking baby steps to begin to take giant steps as I progress in my growth and walk with God.

Just like a child grows up before the eyes of his parent, I started growing and there were times when I did wrong, I will be corrected and chastised in love, I took correction as a child but when I started growing and I did what was wrong and was corrected and chastised still in love, I began to take it as an offence. I felt I was grown and was come to age, I felt that I knew what was right and what was wrong, I felt that I was old enough to take my own decisions and that I knew what was right for me... I had forgotten that "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."....

I began to put up a defensive attitude, giving excuse for whatever wrong I did and was corrected about. I felt like He didn't want me to enjoy life and just like "Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land", I also went out to be like the daughters of the land. I ran away from chastisement, I did what I felt like doing, I did that which was right in my own eyes, I almost frustrated the grace of God upon my life yet HIS LOVE never gave up on me, I became like Ephraim... "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD."

I then realized that the Chastisement of the Lord was because He loves me and didn't want me to go the hard way because His word says "Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard."...

I realized that He did not chastise me because He hates me but because He wants the best for me.

I also realized that He chastised me because I was His Daughter (Son) and A True Father Chastises His Child when he or she goes wrong. I am more grateful for His Chastisement because they have brought me back to the right path, they made me to realize my mistakes and run back to the loving arms of my Heavenly Father.

Dear Christians, how have you been taking the Chastisement of the Lord? Have you seen it as a great punishment or have you sat down to think carefully about it that it is a way of the Father expressing His Love for you?

See, you might have gone your own way, you might have left the right track that leads to heaven due to the deception of the devil and his agents, you might have decided to do things on your own not minding whatever the consequence and you now discover that things are not working out well for you, everything seems to be falling apart, all you put your hands to don't seem to be prospering, from one trouble to another, confusion sets in and life seems to be upside down...

Hmm, don't you see that it is the Chastisement of God that is calling you back home, He is still saying "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

How long will you despise or run away from the chastisement of the Father? How long will you ignore His gentle but loud call to you in the midst of the chastisement for you to come back home?

Yes, the chastisement may be painful, it will make you cry at times, it will hit you hard most times but remember His Word that says "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."

Dear Christians, it is time to turn back to the Lord and appreciate Him for His Chastisement because He considers you A CHILD AND NOT A BASTARD. He will use all means possible to bring you back to Himself because HE LOVES YOU "Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."

It is time to accept the Chastening of the Lord and let it accomplish it's purpose in your life. Don't forget "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. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."

Let this continually be our prayer, Father please don't cease to chastise me and correct me when I go wrong, don't stop dealing with me as with a Son, may I never become a bastard.

Dear Heavenly Father, the Lover of our soul, thank You for Your Word to us enlightening us about Chastisement, Lord, we are sorry for running away from Your chastening, we repent of our sins and come back to You this day, have mercy on us like You had mercy on Ephraim and forgive us, Please don't stop dealing with us as with Sons, may we never become bastards in the Kingdom of God who is left on his or her own even when he or she goes wrong, O LORD, correct us, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring us to nothing in Jesus Name I pray. Amen. 🙏🙏🙏

SHALOM

© Winnie