620 The Lord Disciplines the One He Loves,  A Guided Christian Meditation on Hebrews 12:4-7 with the Recenter With Christ app 

The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. 

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.

Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate.

Scripture for Meditation

Hebrews 12 NKJV 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 

NIV 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,     and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,     and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?

Meditation:

Quote from Proverbs 3:11-12

The central most important message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the recognition that salvation comes only through the sacrifice and atonement of Jesus Christ. It is through the grace of God that any meaningful conversation about improvement can occur. With that said the gospel of Jesus Christ makes place for spiritual discipline as mentioned here. Through the eternal and never ending love of Christ, and the holy spirit, we have been offered the opportunity to understand a portion of God’s will. Admittedly this is a profoundly limited amount of information that our human minds can comprehend, but it is enough to recognize that we at times violate what we should do. I believe that God’s desire with these moments of self reflection, where we discover actions we could change, is that it draws us into the loving embrace of the Grace of Christ that allows us to leave those destructive thoughts and behaviors behind. Equallally, in opposition to God’s messaging I think the enemy wants us to wallow in hopeless depression, embarrassment and stubbornness about our human faults. 

In the moments when we truly are connected to the love of God, we can see this loving influence to speak correction into our lives. This is the nature of ideal heavenly discipline. The light of Christ convicts our heart of our need for God and impresses us with the love available through Jesus Christ. One where the spirit of God shows us the ways we could improve, and we are encouraged and motivated to leave everything behind that diverts from God’s desires for us. If we maintain this sort of loving feeling we have been successfully disciplined by God. It is in moments when we become careless or have our eyes closed to God’s intent for us, or are in denial of our faults, that His discipline becomes uncomfortable. 

During this time ponder the ways in which God’s loving embrace can offer you corrective guidance. What things would help you divert your attention more fully to the life God would have you live. As we remain completely dedicated to the highest Good, namely the name of Jesus and the respective truths of God, we can embrace a spirit of Change that is joyful as it draws us along the path of spiritual maturation God has for us. 

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.

Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:

This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast

Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind? 

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