Today's reading: Deuteronomy 25, 26, 27; Galatians 5
S) "2 then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall then make him lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of stripes according to his guilt. 3 He may beat him forty times but no more, so that he does not beat him with many more stripes than these and your brother is not degraded in your eyes."
Deuteronomy 25:2-3 (NASB)
O) The immediacy of the punishment is key, here. There is no delay between the judgement and the consequence. There is no time spent imprisoned, awaiting the penalty. Also, the judge must witness the punishment being executed upon the guilty. Even if he is not the one who strikes the transgressor, the judge is there, ensuring that the punishment is carried out quickly and correctly. The other point that stands out, is the limit to the punishment.
A) The most direct place for me to apply this, is with me as the judge of my children. Ultimately, along with my wife, I am to carefully judge their actions throughout their lives. I don't just want to punish my children, though, I want to discipline them. I don't simply want them to receive a negative consequence for their sins, I want them to learn from the outcome, to be reshaped in their heart. So, when I see that they have done something deserving of discipline, essentially, I need to do it with personal care. I need to do it quickly, so they see the immediate consequence. I need to do it myself, or at least witness the discipline. The last part, is to ensure that there is a limit to the punishment. My mom always said, when disciplining children, "You have to break their will, without breaking their spirit." It's a difficult line to find, sometimes, but God knows it. So, all of my discipline should be prayerfully, and biblically defined.
P) Father, please keep me on the right path with disciplining my children. Help me judge them rightly, and carry out the discipline that is deserved. I don't just want to discipline with the punishment needed, I want to discipline how You intend, as well. Give me the wisdom to know what will be effective, and how much. I want to be merciful with my children, so show me when mercy is needed. Let me be obedient, first to You, so that I can draw obedience from them. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
A) The most direct place for me to apply this, is with me as the judge of my children. Ultimately, along with my wife, I am to carefully judge their actions throughout their lives. I don't just want to punish my children, though, I want to discipline them. I don't simply want them to receive a negative consequence for their sins, I want them to learn from the outcome, to be reshaped in their heart. So, when I see that they have done something deserving of discipline, essentially, I need to do it with personal care. I need to do it quickly, so they see the immediate consequence. I need to do it myself, or at least witness the discipline. The last part, is to ensure that there is a limit to the punishment. My mom always said, when disciplining children, "You have to break their will, without breaking their spirit." It's a difficult line to find, sometimes, but God knows it. So, all of my discipline should be prayerfully, and biblically defined.
P) Father, please keep me on the right path with disciplining my children. Help me judge them rightly, and carry out the discipline that is deserved. I don't just want to discipline with the punishment needed, I want to discipline how You intend, as well. Give me the wisdom to know what will be effective, and how much. I want to be merciful with my children, so show me when mercy is needed. Let me be obedient, first to You, so that I can draw obedience from them. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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