Make Straight Paths For Your Feet

"Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." - Hebrews 12:9-13 ESV

Healthy parental discipline takes two primary forms. Something unwanted is added (more chores, extra study time, a new temporary responsibility, etc...) or some privilege is taken away (freedom to participate in events, keys to the family vehicle, etc...) these provide incentives and deterrents for proper and improper behaviour. This discipline is never condemning or demeaning. It is instructive.

The focus of this passage isn't on the discipline per se. It is on the state of mind we have when we feel like we have been put 'in time out' and things are not the way we want them to be. That feeling can be present regardless of how we got in a situation. It deals with what we can do when things aren't as we would like them to be.

We could have drooping hands and weak knees when we have to face our circumstances as in that state it is very possible that we get 'put out of joint.' Isolated. Depressed. Dejected.

God tells us to 'make straight paths for our feet' by living in a redemptive plan with Him. Instead of blaming Him for our circumstances or treating Him like He Is a hard taskmaster we make a plan with Him to get from here to there. We look at point B (a place in clear sight) and make a plan with Him to get there. We do that again and again and there is healing in that process in part because we are transacting with God in each decision.

It is Monday and we may have not overwhelming enthusiasm about what we see ahead of us today but we can 'make a straight path for our feet' today and live in a redemptive expectation. We ask God to give us a soul to speak to and share the good news with. We can ask Him to be glorified through us in what we do. We can plan with Him. We can worship in Spirit and in truth. It can be a great day. No! It can be the best day we have ever had.

"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see." - Revelation 3:18 ESV

Yes! God has all of this in stock in abundant supply. It is ours if we have believed. We 'buy it' by faith. We appropriate it and it is ours.

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