Enduring to Persevere
📖 Hebrews 10:36 – “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”
by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
For the last two weeks, I have been walking through a time of correction—a time of discipline by God. I have noticed that a time of discipline is TOUGH, but it is also a time of sweetness. When this period of correction began, I had no doubt it would be hard, but I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet the time actually has been between me and Jesus.
We have had intimate times of worship, prayer, and meditation on His Word together—no one else present. I have BASKED in His teachings for me over these last several days. My eyes are rung dry, but my spirit has been RENEWED.
He told me to be still and to be quiet. My friends and family would be the first to tell you that I am not wired for quietness. However, in this time of discipline, the Lord had to strip me away from my busyness, and He had to show me my patterns of rebellion. He revealed patterns of disobedience as well as cracks in my armor, which have left me and my family vulnerable to attacks from the enemy.
Why Does God Discipline Us?
Ultimately, He disciplines me because of Hesed, the steadfast, faithful LOVE of GOD!! I am His daughter, and He is my ABBA, my Daddy, as we Southerners like to say. He disciplines those He loves, not to harm us, but to refine us.
Beyond correction, He wants to move me into a time of liberation and spiritual freedom—which cannot happen when I am out of alignment with my Father, the Son, or His Holy Spirit.
Scriptures on God’s Discipline
📖 Hebrews 12:5-6 – “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.”
✅ Truth: Discipline is not rejection; it’s evidence that we belong to God as His children.
📖 Revelation 3:19 – “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”
✅ Truth: Correction is love. God disciplines us to bring us back into alignment with Him.
📖 Hebrews 12:11 – “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
✅ Truth: God’s correction shapes our character, making us more like Jesus.
God’s Discipline is for Our Protection
📖 Job 5:17-18 – “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal.”
✅ Truth: God’s discipline is both refining and healing—it is meant to restore us.
📖 Psalm 94:12 – “Blessed is the one You discipline, Lord, the one You teach from Your law.”
✅ Truth: Discipline is a blessing because it teaches us God’s ways.
Responding to God’s Discipline
📖 1 Corinthians 11:32 – “Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.”
✅ Truth: God disciplines us to keep us from eternal judgment.
📖 Deuteronomy 8:5 – “Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.”
✅ Truth: God’s discipline is a reflection of His deep, fatherly care for us.
Now That This Season of Correction is Over
Now that I have come to the end of this period of correction, the Lord God Almighty has been so sweet to me this morning when He said, “Write, my canary, Write.” I haven’t been able to write anything other than scripture or my scripture notes in over a week. He would not release me to express myself because I was still in the role of STUDENT and Child of God.
This morning, He reminded me of the two gifts He has given me: my writing and my singing. These gifts bring me the most joy because they allow me to worship, to praise, and to know Him in a deeper way.
Father, thank You for blessing such a time as this—the crushing. You told me at the beginning that I had to learn to BEND, and as Your very own branch attached to the VINE, I am ready, willing, and BENDING to Your Will only, even when no one understands it other than You.
A Prayer of Gratitude for God’s Discipline
Father, I thank You for discipline. I thank You for taking this time with me specifically for my growth and for my renewal. Your intimate time of correction is the very proof of Your deep love and concern for me. Shape me, refine me, and continue to lead me in righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application & Challenge
✔ Take time to reflect on areas where God may be disciplining you. Ask Him to reveal where He is shaping and refining you.
✔ Are you resisting correction or embracing it? Shift your perspective and see His discipline as an act of love.
✔ Commit to spending intentional time with the Lord. Worship, pray, and seek Him in His Word—He is always drawing you closer.
Challenge: This week, spend at least 15 minutes each day in stillness before the Lord. Ask Him to reveal His guidance, correction, and love. Write down what He teaches you and commit to acting on it.
Hashtags
#GodsDiscipline #FaithJourney #RefinedByFire #SpiritualGrowth #TrustTheProcess #HesedLove #BibleTruth #WalkingWithGod #ObedienceAndFaith #BeStillAndKnow
The Aging English Major 