But God does not want us to see him as a hard task master or someone who is going to hit us over the head or slap our hand if we get out of line.
So many of us have a distorted picture of God. We often subconsciously think God will discipline us like our earthly fathers did as children. Some of us had very loving fathers that were tender and yet stern when they disciplined us. And then some of us were dealt with very harshly and all we remember is the anger. Then there are some of us who were verbally abused and disciplined with control and think God will deal with us in the same way. We naturally impose the relationship we had with our earthly father onto our heavenly father because that's how we think a father acts or reacts.
Beloved, He loves you and wants to bring healing to the wounds and scars of your childhood. He wants to mend your broken heart and set you free of the hurt. Allow Him to pour upon you and into you the oil and the wine and you will begin to see Him as a father of mercy, grace and peace.
Going back to our main scripture text found in Hebrews 12:5 what is God saying to us:
Verse 5: Nor faint when thou are rebuked of Him.
Let's key in on the word "faint" and it's meaning is: To loose, to realize, grow weary, to lack courage, loose heart, become fainthearted from the effect of tribulation.
This word expresses the opposite of "to gird up". The words "to gird up" or "to gird up the loins" means: putting one's self in readiness for any service that might be required. In I Peter 1:13 tells us:
Verse 13: Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for that grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Satin will try and come against the mind of God's children if we don't gird ourselves up and faint not when we are going through testings. The enemy would like nothing more than for you to just lay down and give up, Amen!
Now let's take the word "rebuke". The writer of Hebrews is exhorting us not to become discouraged, sad or cast down; even though the rebuke of God is hard to accept some times.
If we look up the word "rebuke" in the Greek it says: To convict or convince.
Ok, let's go back to Hebrews and talk about verse 6 of chapter 12.
Verse 6: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Do we really comprehend the love that the Lord has for us? Do we realise what "agape love" means? We know that "agape love" is explained as "God's perfect love" that is unconditional. But have we really grasped the depth, the height, the length or understood the width of that kind of love?
How many of you have been tested in the area of unconditional love? This message was birthed while going through much pain and heart ache while God was instructing and teaching me about His love.
In I Corinthians 13, the word of God tells us how important love is. It is the most important fruit of the Spirit. Everything that God is and does for us is motivated by love. Are you able to say that love is your motivator?
The Love Outpouring
Many years ago I had a love encounter with the Lord that I have never forgotten. I remember lying in my bed one night just looking up at the ceiling and I began to crying due to emotional pain and trauma I had experienced earlier that day. Needless to say, my heart had been broken and then suddenly from deep within me feelings of desperation, rejection, loneliness and betrail began to flood my mind. I felt unloved, unappreciated and hopelessness began to to set in. All I wanted was to be loved and to be able to feel love, but all I was experiencing at that moment was pain and brokenness in my heart.
Then suddenly I felt a rush of love flow all over me. I could feel it rushing through me into every fiber of my being from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. It was so strong and overpowering that it almost took my breath away and I remember thinking, Lord I can't take much more or I will explode. I instantly knew that It was the love of the Lord; His unconditional love and it was perfect and filled me up to overflowing.
He than began to explain to me that the love I was feeling was just a small portion of the love that He has and feels for us. He told me that His love was so far beyond what we could ever know, comprehend or experience in our earthly body and that flesh could never contain or stand in the presence of the fullness of His love.
Beloved, His love is perfect and He loves the imperfect vessel.
Blessings,
Elma Garlock
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