I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 21st of November, 2023, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We go to Hebrews 12:5-6: 

"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."

The word "chasten" means to discipline someone. You know, for me, it is very embarrassing to go to a party or a meeting or a public gathering and to see a very badly behaved little child throwing their toys, literally. I don't feel sorry for the red-faced parent who is trying to control the child, I feel terribly sorry for the undisciplined child who has to face life and walk a very hard road. Mom, Dad, if you love your child, you must discipline them for their sake, not yours, just like Jesus disciplines you and me to make us better citizens and stronger people. If Jesus disciplines us because He loves us, we must do the same. 

My son has got a gift for sorting out problem horses. People bring their horses to him, and he sorts out that problem. If a horse has a bad habit of kicking out at people or has a very hard mouth and will not listen, he can discipline that horse and make it rideable. You know, the amazing thing is that the horses with the most natural talent often need the most disciplining and then turn out to be amazing riding horses. The word "discipline" means the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behaviour.  

I know a little boy's story, and it is such a sad story that I am telling you. He was big for his age, very strong, and got his own way at home. His mom and dad didn't discipline him, but eventually, the big day came, and he had to go to school. Mom and Dad dropped him off at school, and of course, in the class, he picked on the weakest little boy there and started to push him around. But you see, that boy didn't realise that that small boy had two big brothers in the grade ahead and of course, at break, the big boys would tackle this youngster and really make things very unpleasant for him, so much so that he didn't want to go to school anymore, in fact, he was starting to wet his pants and became a major problem to his mother and father. That is because Mom and Dad didn't discipline him when he was small. Please discipline your loved one if you want them to have an easy walk in life.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.