Year of the Bible: Part Six of Twelve Sample

Pruned, Not Plucked Out

Israel had a few kings that got it right, but plenty of them led the kingdom away from God. Remember that these are God's people and part of God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12. Because God loved His chosen people, there was no way He could tolerate the ungodly behavior of most of their kings. Therefore, the Lord pruned, but did not completely remove His people, much like you would a withering plant.

Just as the prophets had warned, Babylon captured Israel and destroyed the land of Judah. As bad as that sounds, God did not abandon them; He used this punishment to humble and discipline His people for their own good. There were prophets like Daniel and Ezekiel who were exiled with the rest of the Israelites and whom God used to continue communicating with His people. While imprisoned, the Israelites must have realized how previous prophecies were fulfilled, and perhaps some had a change of heart.

The idea of discipline may sound brutal, but only because it hardly feels good. Sometimes, God's unfailing love and promises come through discipline, which doesn’t seem pleasurable but is no less a blessing. Rather than think of it as brutal, let's think of it as being pruned. Leaves, vines, and branches must be pruned to produce fruits and flowers, but a plucked plant or branch is discarded because it cannot produce. Similarly, we can learn and mature in moments of discipline; then, just like the pruned plant, we can produce more faith, hope, and love for one another. Besides pruning and plucking, God had to preserve the remnant of Judah as part of the promise that led to Jesus. If you've put your faith in Jesus and trust Him with your life, you can be assured you may be pruned but not plucked out.

Question: Why does discipline feel so hard? What are the good things that come out of discipline, and if you must face discipline, how would you approach it?

Prayer: Ask the Lord to reveal areas in your life where you can be pruned and the comfort in knowing you are not plucked. Also, ask for His strength to endure.

Special Assignment: Take some time to recall an experience when you were disciplined or witnessed someone else being disciplined. Document how it felt when it happened and compare how you might feel now. Be prayerful as you do this so that the Lord can be involved.