Discipline Equals Blessings

I don't know how many of you might know this, but I lost my job this week. The company that I was working for did some cut backs, and I was one of them.

How do I feel ?????

A question that I have probably lied to several people about upon my answers.
"I'll be OK".....

Will I ?????

Full of all kinds of emotions. Two of them stick out like sore thumbs.
1. Anger - not only with the company that I worked for, but with God... Wondering, Why Lord would you put my family in yet another stressful situation. Why would you allow this to happen?
All God has to do is blink and eye and I would have the easiest and funniest job in the world making more money than I could ever dream of. So why would you take this one job away from me and leave me with so many insecurities?
2. Worry - tops all emotions. I know, I know... Lay your worries on God, but I still can't help myself by thinking.....
Where am I going to get the money to feed my family, and pay my bills.
Where am I going to get the money to pay for health insurance, in case one of my family members gets sick or hurt.
Should my wife and son suffer with me?
This is effecting my teenage son. He has enough peer pressure in his own life to have this extra added weight on him. I feel so bad for him, and worry so much. He should be enjoying life like a kid should be.

Now, with all of this in mind, the answers lie in the bible. Upon already knowing this, I still wasn't seeking the answers the way I should've been doing. I guess I wanted to drown myself in my sorrows, and make things even worse. Worse on me, my wife, my son, and even whoever comes in contact with me.

Before I do my morning devotions, I always pray to God to give me wisdom and knowledge before reading His word. I've taken a vacation from His word since I've lost my job. The last time I read His word was on Tuesday morning, the day I lost my job. I am in the middle of the book "Hebrews". God knew that I was going to take a break from His word, and knew the exact moment when I would return to my studies. He had this lesson prepared for me upon returning. I left off just completing Hebrews 11, this morning I started in Hebrew 12.
To sum up Hebrews 11, is one word, "Faith" which is one thing that I have been lacking. To sum up Hebrews 12 in one word, "discipline". Discipline from God.
Now most of us think about discipline being a bad thing, and it is, to be punished, means that you haven't been doing things right, so you are being corrected for it, rebuked for your disobedience. Growing up as a child, it was never a good thing to get punished by my parents when I was in trouble. It always meant that I was going to suffer pain for my disobedience.
Now, as a parent myself, I have found myself on the punishing end when one of my children are disobedient. When I punish them, I hurt more than they do. I hate seeing one of my children hurting. I cry for them, because I love them so much.
Hebrews 12 taught me something that I already knew this morning. Verse 1-4 reminds me, that no matter what I go through, no matter what punishment I endure for my sins, it will never equal the pain that Jesus went through for my sins. Moving on to the second part of verse 5, I am reminded that I shouldn't lose heart when the Lord rebukes me because He disciplines those He loves. and Punishes everyone He accepts as a son.

Hebrew 12:4-13
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[a]
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Verse 11 is my encouragement. That when I endure this hardship, that it will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for me. I feel so good inside right now, that I know God loves me as a son, enough to punish me for good.

My lesson is, follow chapter 11 on "faith"
God has a great plan for me and my family, greater than I could ever imagine if I can just let faith be my upmost priority. and remind myself that these hardships, if we endure them, will be a blessing in the end.
Thank you Lord for your discipline. Amen.