November 10, 2009
Discipline—only for those Whom he loves
Psalm 118:1-18
Jeffrey Liggitt
Central Truth
The Lord disciplines us because He loves us.
Key Verse | Psalm 118:18
The Lord severely punished me,
but he did not hand me over to death.
(Psalm 118:18)
Psalm 118:1-18
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
1
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2
Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5
Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
6
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7
The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
9
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
10
All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
11
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
12
They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
13
I was pushed hard,
1
118:13
Hebrew You (that is, the enemy) pushed me hard
so that I was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
14
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
15
Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,
16
the right hand of the LORD exalts,
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”
17
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
18
The LORD has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 118:1-18
Did your parents ever say to you, "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you," just before spanking you with their chosen apparatus? When I heard this as a child, I would think, "That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." In fact, I even wanted to respond to my dad with, "All you have to do is NOT spank me, and all pain will depart from both of us—a win-win for everyone." Now that I am a father and have the responsibility for disciplining my kids, I can truly appreciate the brilliance of that statement.
In this same way, the Lord does not like to discipline us, but does so because of His passionate love for us. I can get lost in thinking that God's love towards me means that only good, peaceful, happy, comfortable things will occur in my life, and there will be no consequences for my sin. As the psalmist indicates, the Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not handed me over to death. Hebrews 12:5-11 encourages us not to lose heart when we are disciplined because the Lord disciplines those He loves. Let's be honest, none of us like the sometimes painful reminders when there is sin in our life or when our path needs to be corrected, straightened, or sharpened. When the Lord disciplines us, however, we can take hope in the fact that we are His legitimate children. (Hebrews 12:8)
We also know that no matter what we do the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) Note the psalmist's many short statements about the Lord's relationship with us: His love endures forever (Psalm 118:1-4), He sets me free (118:5), the Lord is with me (118:6 & 7), He is my helper (118:7), there is refuge in the Lord (118:9), and He is my strength and salvation (118:14). Take comfort in knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:38-39)
Discussion Questions
1. When have you seen the Lord discipline you like a father would lovingly discipline a child?
2. Why is it so hard to embrace the discipline that we receive from the people who love us, including God?
3. In what ways do you reflect on the Lord's greatness and embrace the many loving promises He has for us? Do you do this through the meditation on Scripture, prayer, spending extended time alone with God?