Greetings Mt. Vernon Family,

My child, don't reject the LORD's discipline, and don't be upset when He corrects you. For the LORD corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights Pro 3:11-12.

God is our divine parent. His discipline towards us is a mark of His love. God’s discipline of His children is not to get even or retaliate against us for our wrongdoing. God’s discipline of us involves teachings, trainings, corrections, time outs, spankings, and consequences. His discipline is meant to correct us, mature us, and equip us for spiritual warfare. So, if you are headed in the wrong direction in life, know that God loves you too much to allow you to keep moving towards destruction. God disciplines us to get us to change direction. His discipline can be seen as an intervention: a divine intervention designed to disrupt our behavior for our own good. While God’s discipline may not feel good, He disciplines us because He loves us and wants the best for us. When we reject God’s discipline, we reject God’s love. We should consider God’s discipline as a sign of His favor towards us. God is like the coach who sees greatness in a player who has raw talent but no discipline. If the player wants to realize his or her potential for greatness, the player must embrace the coach and the discipline. Amen!

Be Richly Blessed,

Pastor Deborah Giles