During Thanksgiving week I abandoned self-restraint. I enjoyed several days of feasting, appropriate for the holiday. However, the festivities ended and now I return to a more disciplined approach to filling my plate. While it feels sad, I know my heart will thank me, even if my belly cries foul.

We all exert discipline in order to live a better life. We eat right, or spend several years in intense study to earn a degree, or work long hours to develop a business. From the outside success may look easy, but a disciplined approach lies behind all prosperity.

The psalmist thanked God for discipline: Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your Law; you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.

Notice that the primary instrument of the Lord’s discipline is his Law. God uses his Word to build strength and resilience into the lives of his followers. The result of such discipline is a certainty that the Lord is in control, and relief knowing that justice will prevail.

How do we grab hold of this promise? By spending time in God’s Word. The Lord does not pour Bible verses into my head while I sleep, at least not yet. I don’t catch much scripture on social media. A good sermon is helpful, but no substitute to opening the Good Book for myself.

I must spend time in God’s word in order for the results of the Lord’s discipline to manifest themselves in my life. Tiny acts yield vast amounts of good.

Make the effort. A few minutes in the Bible every day opens the way to experience the goodness of the Lord.

Psalm 94 in reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Joel Muniz