Jesus cares about every area of our lives – our welfare, our hopes and dreams. Jesus cares. In the Gospel reading today, the disciples question that. They are in a boat when a violent squall comes and crashes waves over the boat. Jesus was sleeping. The disciples wake Him up and ask, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus then calms the wind and the sea. He can do the same for you today. Because He cares.
In the first reading today from 2 Samuel 12, we see the consequences of bad decisions. After his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, David is confronted by the prophet Nathan. After David shows repentance, Nathan tells him, “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die. But since you have utterly spurned the LORD by this deed, the child born to you must surely die.” David was forgiven, but still had to undergo punishment for his transgression.
Some may shout, “That’s not fair! David repented. Why should he now be punished?” Because God is a loving Father. If you are a parent, you’ve probably had similar situations with your children. They misbehave, and you forgive them. Your love for them is not diminished one bit. But they still need to be punished; otherwise they would never learn the lesson. Surely you’ve seen children who were never disciplined. Not a pretty sight. God is a loving and forgiving Father. He wants us to become all that He desires us to be. Sometimes that includes painful lessons.
Father, we thank you for your love and forgiveness, and for your just punishment. May we always learn and grow from your discipline. Amen.
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