Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

October 20, 2018

by Pastor Hawtree

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO CORRECT ME

Jeremiah 10:24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

I have always been told to avoid disciplining your children when you are extremely angry. You do not want to discipline them out of anger, you want to discipline them in love. So, if something happens that merits strong discipline, make sure you are calm, in control, and composed before you discipline. You want the discipline to bring your children closer to you and the Lord, not take them further away in bitterness.

This word “judgment” is a legal term. It means to listen to all sides before deciding. It means to weigh all the angles before passing sentence. Here Jeremiah is saying that God’s people deserved God’s correction. There was no argument about that. I think you and I can say the same thing. We deserve God’s discipline at times. We’ve done wrong and we really have no excuse. But Jeremiah was asking that God consider several things before handing down the sentence. Jeremiah wanted God to consider the depravity of man. Jeremiah wanted God to remember that they were flesh, that they were sinners. Jeremiah wanted God to discipline with love, not just in anger at their sin.

Sin makes God angry. It always has. God hates sin, and He always will. If God disciplined us in anger, we could not survive that. We need God’s mercy. We need God to “calm down” if you will. Jeremiah was echoing what David said:

* Psalm 38:1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

If God let His wrath loose on us, there would be “nothing” left. God will let His wrath loose one day. He will unleash it on Satan and those who have rejected God. It will be a horrible day. Our minds cannot fathom how horrible it will be. I encourage you to take time today to thank God for His mercy. He could disintegrate us immediately. We probably would deserve it. But God’s mercy is everlasting to us that know Him.

Remember:

* Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.