Disciplined to God’s Way

I am a definite cat person. Hopefully in my old age I will not be called “the crazy cat lady,” but it is getting close. We have four cats right now. That is the most I’ve ever had at once, and I am finding it is more than enough! Our latest additions came more than a year ago. When our cat died the previous November, we decided when we were ready that we wanted an orange cat. We had never had one before. My son, Bryan’s friend came across a litter. There was a beautiful orange long-hair, and of course, I could not resist also taking the runt of the litter. So, we ended up with two new kittens. They are both very sweet, but my little runt of the litter is quite the climber. She will jump up onto the top of my kitchen cabinets! She also likes to get into the garbage, so I actually had to buy a child-proof lock for my cabinet! We have also purchased a water bottle to spray them when they disobey. We are trying so hard to use the water bottle to discipline them when they do not do what we would like. I am not sure it is working☹

In reading Isaiah 55:8-11, I am reminded of the discipline the Lord uses to change our thinking and ways to be more like His. Isaiah shares with the people the words of the Lord. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

God is sovereign and in control of all things. He knows His plan and how to accomplish it in the best possible way. Often, we tend to think through things with our own human understanding, forgetting who God is. The root of our thinking is the natural way of man, that sin nature. Our natural way is not God’s way, it is the path of sin and Satan’s thinking. In his book Be Comforted, Warren W. Wiersbe explains, “We make God after our own image and conclude that He thinks and acts just as we do. And we are wrong!” To have any comprehension of God’s thinking, we need to have an understanding of the depth of our sinfulness and how far away from Him we are in holiness.

Discipline is the practice of training people (or cats) to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience. God uses our sinful behavior and circumstances in our life to draw us to Him, to make us more like Him. When we choose sin, He chooses discipline to bring us back to Him and help us to know Him more. As we know Him more, we can have a better understanding of who He is and how He thinks. Our thoughts become more like His. Our ways become more like His. If we truly desire to know Him more, our highest ambition should be to “take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5. His desire is for us to know Him and to trust Him in the work He is accomplishing.

Not that we will ever completely understand God’s thoughts and ways, but we can know Him more. As we see His work being accomplished, we can trust Him even more for the things that we do not understand knowing that whatever takes place will be accomplished for our good and His glory. Is God trying to draw you to Him? What is He doing to help you align your thoughts and ways to His? Your Thoughts, my thoughts. Your Ways, my ways. Your will be done.

In His Love,

Susan