From a Place of Love: Trusting God in Trials

Published on Sep 5, 2023
Category: Devotion

Deuteronomy 8:5
Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

Discipline is to punish in order to train.

Having come out of Egypt and spent forty years in the desert, the Israelites have finally arrived in the Promised Land. As they are on the verge of entering the land, into a new kind of life very different from the long years of slavery, into a land flowing with milk and honey, Moses pauses to bring perspective with some hard truths.

Moses reminds them that while it was the Lord who delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt, it was also the same Lord who humbled them through the forty years in the desert to see if they would obey Him. The Lord humbled them with hunger and fed them with manna to teach them that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. It was the Lord.

God does discipline His children. He disciplines us to teach us lessons of faith (James 1:2-3). He disciplines us to develop our character (Romans 5:3-4). He disciplines us to increase our dependence on Him. Most of all, He disciplines us because He loves us (Proverbs 3:11-12). We are not to be surprised or resent the discipline of the Lord rather look at it with faith in our God the Father who loves us deeply (John 1:12). For the Lord disciplines those He loves and accepts as His children (Hebrews 12:6).

So, the next time you face a difficult situation, would you pause to consider what the Lord could be trying to teach you through this experience? As we journey through the challenges that come our way, may we remember that each trial is an opportunity to grow in faith, develop our character, and deepen our dependence on the Father who loves us unconditionally. Instead of resenting the discipline of the Lord, may we trust Him in the midst of our trials. And as we do, we will find that His love and guidance are ever-present, leading us to a place of greater spiritual maturity and a closer walk with Him.

Lord help me trust You and recognize Your love for me as I try to understand the challenges I may face today.

Author

Preethi Alice Jacob

Preethi Jacob is the author of the yearlong devotional At the Potter’s Wheel, Day by Day. Her journey includes teaching a Bible Study Fellowship class, teaching and leading the Sunday School ministry in her church, leading Bible studies, besides counselling young women. She serves on the Global Mission Team of the United Bible Societies and lives in Bangalore, India with her husband and two young adult children.

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