Through Furnaces with Love

Seven weeks have gone by here in Paris and it has been quite a ride thus far. Smelly Parisian plumbers charging us 150€ merely to look at our toilet, trips to Ikea ending in sprinting through the suburbs of France in the rain to catch a train whereafter carrying 112lb bunk beds through two metro lines and up to our apartment, and explaining in the little French I know that just because Jesus was middle-eastern that does not make Him a Muslim have been just some of the highlights of my first exposure to western europe.

Most of the first month was really hard for myself and my team. In that time I came upon two passages that really spoke to me and comforted me in what felt like some sort of punishment from the Lord. 

We see in Daniel 4 that the King Nebuchadnezzar has received an interpretation of his dream and at the end is admonished to "break off his sins by practicing righteousness." The very next passage describes Nebuchadnezzar standing pridefully upon his rooftop praising himself for his mighty kingdom. He suffers humiliation, as predicted, and spends a length of time in the wilderness, until he returns and praises the Lord Almighty. 

What we have here is Parenting 101. The Lord our Father disciplines Nebuchadnezzar for his disobedience until he learns his lesson. The psalmist of Psalm 81 recalls that "my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts," and we see another way in which God deals with disobedience. 

In my life, I can relate to both of these situations. I want to receive recognition for what i've done like Nebuchadnezzar. I want to be independent and accomplished and stand on top of a roof and look in satisfaction over all I have accomplished. And I often do this stubbornly as the Israelites, not to be moved from my pride and sin. My inclination is to brag, not to submit. 

But here comes the good part: our loving God does not change! In scripture we often see that our disobedience breaks God's heart. Our heavenly Father loves us so much that He would discipline us in order to bring us to holiness. The Lord has perfected this thing Dads call "tough love" and He always has a plan in mind for how this discipline will benefit our lives. But even when I am serving Him in every way I think I can be, and these trials that seem like punishment come upon me, I have to remember the truth that God loves me. He wants so bad to, "feed you with the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

Father, teach me to understand this love that loves in the face of disobedience. Mature me as a child in your eyes and stay close as I learn hard lessons.