Stubborn or Surrender Part 2

Last time I talked about surrendering to the Lord wanting to bring discipline in your life, rather than stubbornly refusing to admit that its needed.

Today I want to share a little tid bit more about discipline.

Jeremiah 29:4-7 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." NIV

God wanted Israel to settle into the discipline. We should too. We should pray for the place the Lord puts us in, even if that is a difficult place. Pray that we will do well in that discipline until the time the Lord takes us out of it.

For if we are patient while the Lord does surgery on us, as difficult as it is, we reap many benefits.

Just after that section in Jeremiah is a very famous verse:

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. NIV

Notice that the plans, hope, future, and prosperity come through discipline.

Pastor Tom