Hebrews 12  When we live by faith, following the examples of the many who have gone before us, we will endure.. for Christ Jesus is our great High Priest and He will help us!   He has brought us into the family of God, making us sons and daughters.. and as such, we will be brought under the "discipline" of our Father.

Discipline...

We are to "not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord." v5
We are to not "faint when.. reproved by Him;" 
We are to recognize that He disciplines those He loves. v6
Discipline is given to those who are "sons". v7
Those "without discipline" are not sons. v8
We must be "subject to the Father of spirits and live" v9
He "disciplines us for our good that we may share His holiness" v10
Discipline is not "joyful". v11
But, when we are "trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness," v11

Discipline - training, correction, education, chastening, teaching -  It is a vital part of our relationship with our Father in heaven.  He teaches and we obey.  He speaks and we listen.  He stops us when we err.  He corrects us when we are wrong.  He "scourges" us when we have gone astray.  Scourge is an interesting word, meaning to flog;  the root word in Greek is "mastix" which can mean a whip.. or a disease..

The purpose of God's discipline is "for our good"... for our advantage; to make us better; it is profitable and brings us together.. "that we might share in His holiness." 


V 12-13 " Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." 

Therefore - because we are God's children.. because He treats us as such and disciplines us in order to bring us into His holiness - we look to Him in faith.. to  find "straight paths" that lead to healing.

Proverbs 4: 25-26 " Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established." 

Isaiah 35:8-10 " And a highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way... the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return.." 

Isaiah 57:15-21 - Also speaks of this.. " I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite... because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, and he went on turning away in the way of his heart.  I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;  I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners... "

When we return to the Lord with contrite hearts and lowly spirits.. when we submit to the Lord's discipline and fix our eyes once more on the path of holiness.. laying aside "every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us.. " then, He promises healing - the hands and knees strengthened; the limbs in joint once more.. able to "run with endurance the race that is set before us.. " 

"Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the 

ends of the earth

Does not become weary or tired. 

His understanding is inscrutable.

He gives strength to the weary, 

And to him who lacks might

 He increases power. 

Though youths grow weary and tired,

And vigorous young men 

stumble badly, 

Yet, those who wait for the Lord

Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles 

The will run and not get tired, 

They will walk and not become weary"

Isaiah 40:28-31

Father in heaven,  we confess that we have not "resisted to the point of shedding blood in [our] striving against sin."  Forgive us.  Help us..  May we willingly and gladly submit to Your loving discipline, to bring back to the Highway of Holiness.. and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, our great example.. our Savior, our High Priest, and our King forever.  We wait on You.. in faith, in the name that  is above all names.. the name of Jesus.. Amen.