December 18 Daily Discovery
December 18 Daily Discovery
Read Psalms Chapter 6
O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Psalm 6:1
Mercy and Patience
We greatly err as parents when we rebuke (verbal correction) or chasten (corporal correction) our children when we or angry. It matters not if we are angry with them or someone else.
Our flesh is weak.
We've had a hard day at work perhaps and then we return to our homes and families and lash out at our spouses or children.
We must seek God's help to live in freedom from that dead man that was crucified with Christ. He is not pleasant.
David Was Wrong
I don't know the background of this Psalm that has been attributed to David, but I can discover a lot about David's heart by reading it.
David believed he was going to be or was presently being corrected by God. He was not complaining to God that His correction was unjust or too harsh or undeserved, he was asking God to be a good Father and not lose his temper while He was correcting him.
- He pleads for mercy.
- His soul was vexed - he felt guilty.
- He was losing sleep.
David's enemies were being allowed to impact his peace.
- He felt abandoned by God.
He asked God to "return" and deliver him from his enemies.
He asked for mercy
He made this specific request in verse 2. We can understand mercy as basically NOT receiving what we deserve. Notice how his appeal for mercy was joined to reminding God of his weakness.
He asked for God to save him for His mercies' sake. (verse 4)
He pled for patience
This is contained in the very first verse. "Don't rebuke me or chasten me while you are angry." Of course, God does not do this with His children.
I don't think God is often angry with His children. He knows the beginning from the end. Nothing takes Him by surprise.
But He is our Father. He is pleased when we are doing things that are pleasing to Him. He is displeased otherwise.
We ask God to smile on us because we can do things that remove that smile from His face.
Thank God that when He does rebuke us or chasten us, He is truly doing it for our own good.
Read Hebrews 12:4-10
When our children are in need of correction, let's make sure that we are following God's instruction and example.
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Do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?
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