God is being our Dad Proverbs 3:27-35

0:00 All right. So I said that we would get to these two verses at the end and for two reasons for that, one is because it deviates from the theme.

0:12 And I wanted to really stick to the theme of this particular podcast that we had on Proverbs chapter 3, but also because there is a lot to say about it.

0:24 So I'm going to read the verses now. And what we will talk about today will really define a relationship with God as a father.

0:35 Okay? So it is verses 11 and 12.My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth
0:45 He corrects, even as a father, the son in whom he delights. So now what does this mean? Lots of religions and lots of, I don't know, I guess folklore, teach us that God punishes people and that he also will do things, particularly to people to teach them something.

1:11 Now, nothing could be farther from the truth. It's not a punishment to offer correction. It is teaching, it's instruction. Now, will God allow us to suffer consequences?

1:25 Absolutely. We have free will. If you want to jump off a building baby, go right ahead. I don't encourage it, but I can't stop you.

1:35 Here's what, you know, just like you might do with your child or your parents have done with you. Um, you know, you want to get drunk at night.

1:45 Well, you're not getting the keys, and don't get behind a wheel. If you have been drinking now, is it your choice to get behind the wheel?

1:55 Yes. And will there be consequences? Most likely there Will, does that mean that your parent did that to you? Of course not.

2:05 And this is the same thing. There are certain principles that God put forth in The World. You do something that will harm someone.

2:14 There is going to be some kind of consequence to that. Our relationship will be messed up. You will be not trusted. People.

2:24 Won't like you, you won't succeed in a lot of things. See what I mean? But does God send evil upon people to teach them something?

2:38 No. The Bible says that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. There's also a verse in James, which we'll read right now, James chapter one, verse 13, let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither temps.

3:00 He any man. So God doesn't do these things that the world says that he does? You know, I was in a car accident many years ago and people said to me that there may be something God was trying to teach me.

3:16 That's what they said. Were not a lot of people, but a few. And they meant well, they really thought that I should look to see what God was trying to teach me.

3:25 But here's the thing with something like that. If I believed that God wanted me in that car accident, then how could I ever go against his will to get better?

3:39 Obviously he wanted me to be broken if that was the case. And if we believe that God wants something that's bad in our lives to be evident in our lives, then how could we go in with faith in prayer to change what we what's God's will. It is it's not God's will to hurt us.

4:06 It's not his way to hurt people. It Is pretty foundational because we want our relationship with our heavenly father. We want a relationship with God so that we could walk with him and so that we could know him.

4:25 Remember that verse in Proverbs, chapter three in all of your ways, acknowledge him. And if you look up that word acknowledge, it could literally be translated, "know" in all your ways, know him and he will direct thy paths.

4:44 So what I do with this portion of Proverbs chapter three, where it says, "My son despise, not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction for whom the Lord love.

4:57 He's correct. Even as a father, the son in whom he delights." I see this as another way for him to show us that there are ways of the world that if violated will harm us, just like if you put your finger in a light socket, you violated the law of electricity and there is a consequence to that.

5:27 There's a cause and there's an effect. When I'm living my life and something happens like maybe a fender bender or I don't know, anything that is in the negative.

5:40 I know that, that wasn't God's will for me. So instead of me going to the place in my life where I might say, "Oh no, all of these bad things are happening to me!"

5:51 "How could this have happened to me?" or something negative... I see it as a positive. And I say, "Thank you God, for this opportunity to live life and not see it as a terrible thing, but how wonderful that I get to breathe air, be in the sunshine and live the life that's before me." In the meantime, my eyes are looking at you and I trust that you will bring me and put me on that customary road going in a certain direction.

6:31 He's our father and loves us as a good father would love ...