During the summer in college I sold books door to door in order to pay my way through school. One summer when I sold books on Long Island, we took the train into New York City for our weekly Sunday meeting. On the return home a friend and I took the wrong train and ended in a “not so great” area of New York City. We had to get off the train to catch another train. WE were lost trying to find our way home. It took all afternoon for us to get where we needed to go. Our Father wants us to get on the right path too. A path that is moving toward Him and not away from Him. Just like a loving parent corrects and disciplines their child, so does our Father discipline those He loves. God’s desire has always been to have a relationship with Him. Our Creator has wanted us to draw near to him, to repent from our sinful ways and turn around to the path leading in His direction.
Isaiah 19:18, 21-25 says, “ In that day five Egypt’s cities will follow the Lord of Heavens Armies. They will begin to speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan. One of these cities will be Heliopolis, the City of the Sun…The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes they will know the Lord and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the Lord and will keep it. The Lord will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the Lord, and He will listen to their pleas and heal them. In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will love freely between their lands and they will both worship God, In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth. For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special Possession!”
Isn’t it crazy to hear God refer to the nation of Egypt as “my people” considering how the Egyptians treated the Israelites. However, this is the perfect picture of God’s grace. He didn’t bring pain to the Egyptians for no reason. He didn’t delight in correcting them. He wanted them to come back to Him. To get off the road that leads to a dead end and come home. His discipline was for healing and intention for them to draw close to our Father. He hoped they would see their need for God and to get rid of their idols. Following the Lord means having faith in Him, even though it may not be easy. His judgments might seem painful in the moment, but you can trust that His goal leads to intimacy with Him.
Isaiah 38:16 “Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live!”
