Day of Praise

Fri, 09/15/17, "Day of Praise"

"Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will punish you." - Jeremiah 50:31

Hey, it's okay!

Everybody has a limit.

Even God has a limit.

Sometimes everybody, even God, has to say, "Enough!"

And we all are best off if we'll not just declare it to whoever needs to hear it but also sit humbly under the declaration when it comes our way. 

I have a dear friend. He was very kind to me in the worst season of my life. I leaned on him. But after a month, he lovingly and courageously said, "Hey, Chris, enough." It was a critically pivotal moment in my life. If he hadn't been strong enough to lovingly draw a clear line, I might not have ever gotten back on my feet. 

My friend not only set a boundary for me; he also set a foundation for me to stand on. 

Boundary-setting is a loving form of discipline. Discipline is simply a way of teaching for the one who administers it and a way of learning for the one who receives it. So boundary-setting is a loving way to teach people to stand on their own two feet. 

Sometimes it even works to their advantage far more than they could ever dream. I remember a time someone asked me for some money; a lot of money. I explained to them that my "no" was because I felt that they were being taken advantage in trying to buy what they needed. A few weeks later, out of the clear blue, somebody gave my friend what they needed. Boundary-setting worked out quite well for them, don't ya' think?

Boundary-setting; discipline; done in love is a tool of life and love. God even says, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12:6).

Give and receive love today!

Tell somebody who needs to hear it, "Enough!"

And receive it as a courageous gift of love, if someone, whether some fellow human being or the Lord God of hosts himself, tells you the same. 

"Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will punish you." - Jeremiah 50:31

Praise God!