One-minute read.
“Gaar”, the Hebrew word for rebuke, means “reprimand” or “prevent.” Often, when I think of God rebuking me, I don’t have good images in my mind. However, as I applied more and more of the Lord’s precepts to my life, I learned that they protected me, keeping me from harm and safeguarding my heart.
Now, as I receive the Lord’s reprimand, it humbles me and reminds me of my need for the Savior. None of us can keep the law; if we didn’t recognize our sin, we wouldn’t turn to Jesus for help. Only with the grace and mercy we receive from Christ can we access the Lord’s peace that surpasses all understanding.
For the first time in my life, I have a backyard garden. Now that the weather has warmed, we’ve planted our first crop. Each day, I water the small plot of land and pull a few weeds. As I pulled up the pesky rascals this morning, I thought of how my daily time in the Word weeds my heart. Each morning, I repent of my sinful thoughts and actions, keeping the soil of my heart pliable for the Lord, so that His word may take root and grow.
Although we will never achieve perfection on this side of heaven, we can become more like Jesus as we emulate His actions. Our right actions please God and draw us closer to Him, allowing us to experience a bit of heaven here on Earth.
Prayer:
Lord,
Thank You for weeding out our hearts and rebuking our wrong actions. Please help us follow Your commands and become more like Jesus with each day You give us.
IJNIP. Amen
