January 25 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Hebrews 12:7–13

Bible Text:

God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness (Heb. 12:10).

Devotional:

It's much easier for parents to see the benefits of discipline than it is for their children. When I was a child I found it hard to believe that I got punished because my dad loved me.

We see all of God's spankings through the eyes of children rather than with the vision of spiritually mature people. Therefore the writer argues with us as people who were disciplined by earthly fathers and have now grown up to appreciate what our parents were trying to do.

Our earthly parents "disciplined us for a little while as they thought best." By saying, "as they thought best," the writer suggests that our parents weren't perfect. They worked on our upbringing to the best of their ability and insight. And "we respected them for it." In all normal cases grown-up people appreciate their parents' efforts in raising them, especially by the time they have children of their own. We respect our parents because they tried to improve our behavior. Pity the people who were never taught how to live and work and laugh and love.

"But God disciplines us for our good .... ' No question here whether this Father knows what he is doing. There's nothing unfair or misdirected in his child-raising work.

Earthly parents teach their children to leave home and stand on their own feet. Our heavenly Father is preparing us to come to his holy house and live with him forever.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.