Daily Devotional for October 22, 2015
Jeremiah 10
Scripture:
23 I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
24 Correct me, LORD, but only with justice– not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.
Observation:
Talking about correction or discipline often makes us uncomfortable. The conversation reminds of experiences from my childhood like, getting the paddle out of the kitchen drawer, running laps at basketball practice, and losing my ability to go out on the weekends. Jeremiah asking for the Lord to correct him in this passage seems strange. I am wondering, however, if this is something we should be doing on a regular basis. As Spirit-Empowered Men we are striving to grow spiritually, relationally, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. While on this discipleship journey we often need course correction. If you have ever rode a horse, you may have noticed the reins are connected to a bit in its mouth. While this may make the horse uncomfortable for a time, it is essential to keeping the horse on the correct path. Discipline in our lives provides the same level of course correction.
God’s correction in our lives is an expression of His love for us (See Hebrews 12:4-11). God does not over discipline nor does he brush off our mistakes. He knows us and understands us, therefore, He knows what we need to keep us humble and on the path to knowing Him more.
Application:
- Personal Application: Being aware of God’s correction will keep us on His path to becoming a Spirit-Empowered Disciple. God’s correction and discipline will drive us to grow spiritually, relationally, emotionally, physically, and intellectually.
- Family Devotional: Read this passage to your family. Talk to them about the importance of God’s correction in our lives. Tell a story about a season of painful growth and how thankful you are for the experience. If necessary, read Hebrews 12:4-11. Take some time to thank God that He loves us enough to correct us as we strive to be more like him.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Pray Jeremiah’s prayer for correction. Ask God to help you on His path to grow into the Spirit-Empowered Man He desires.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will be open to the Lord’s correction as they travel on this journey of discipleship.
Three Year Reading Plan for Sunday, October 11 – Sunday, October 18:
- Sunday, October 18: Jeremiah 6
- Monday, October 19: Jeremiah 7
- Tuesday, October 20: Jeremiah 8
- Wednesday, October 21: Jeremiah 9
- Thursday, October 22: Jeremiah 10
- Friday, October 23: Jeremiah 11
- Saturday, October 24: Jeremiah 12
- Sunday, October 25: Jeremiah 13
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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