During the last healing evening, I prayed for a brother and felt a strong benevolence from God towards him, which touched me deeply. One could perceive a magnitude in the benevolence that God wanted to communicate to him and release upon him. I thought I would simply pray for his healing as usual, but this compassion surprised me. One can only marvel at the wonderful heart of God towards His children. This great benevolence is available to all. And every child of God must understand and accept God's benevolence towards them.
Furthermore, only when we know and experience His lovingkindness can we accept His corrections. I shared this at church, and I noticed that people, who were smiling and relaxed when hearing about God's lovingkindness, became tense when they heard about corrections. If we don't understand His lovingkindness, we will be resistant to His corrections. But when we know how deep and infinite His love for us is, we are ready for any correction.
And why does God discipline us? Because He loves us. Whomever God cherishes, He sees to it that He disciplines them. Oh, how we need to see the word 'discipline' once again take its rightful place in the church. I encouraged them to repeat the word 'discipline,' for it is both a beautiful and meaningful term. Unfortunately, the charismatic movement is too often marked by disorder and the absence of discipline. But the mark of God's love for a person is that He imposes a discipline that will be beneficial to them.
God is like a craftsman who shapes our imperfections with each stroke of his divine chisel. “Discipline” is often associated with strict teachers or harsh rules, but divine discipline is essential and beneficial.
A Christian who is never corrected by a brother, a servant of God, is in real danger. This can show either the indifference of others toward him or his own toward them. Sometimes a person is so resistant to correction that those around him prefer to let him sink rather than face his anger. We need to be corrected, we need divine correction. It is what allows us to progress. And the awareness of His benevolence allows us to receive His discipline.
God is truly benevolent; He hates sin and loves the sinner. I have prayed for people whose sins the Lord has revealed, but He has never asked me to judge or condemn them. Absolutely not. He revealed their sins because He wanted to restore them. He wanted to take them back. Sometimes when I share what God has revealed about them, they are shocked that God would even tell me about them. Some recognize it as a mark of His benevolence and immediately repent. However, some do not hesitate to express their displeasure, wondering why God chose to reveal this, when it was a personal matter. They could not grasp the extent of His benevolence.
And every time someone said to me, 'But why did the Lord tell you that?' My answer was the same: 'To help you.' God is gracious. Let us live with the knowledge that God is gracious. No matter your mistakes, choose to draw near to Him instead of running away from Him. By drawing near to Him, you will find refuge and strength. If you choose to walk away, Satan will be ready to destroy you. If you turn to God, He will offer you His forgiveness and restoration. He will open the way for you to begin anew.
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