'If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. 5 Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.
14 " 'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, 15 and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. (Lev 26)
Lev 26 lists down God's rewards for obedience and punishments for disobedience. God's promises to bless are not unconditional. Our identity as children of God do not guarantee blessings if we are rebellious, disobedient children. God reproves, he chastises, so we may share in His holiness.
"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Heb 12:10)
In the workplace, we've recently had a discussion about the difference between good leaders and good managers. One difference is that good leaders do the right thing, not necessarily the popular thing. For me, one application of that learning is that I need to be truthful with my subordinates when they're not performing as well as they ought. That may not make me popular, but to sugarcoat my words would lull them into a false sense of complacency, and does nothing for their professional growth.
So while at first glance, it offends my theology a little to read in Leviticus just how severe God's punishments can be for those who disobey Him, I think I can understand it. Why, doesn't God still love us when we sin? I think He does - and it is precisely because He does that He makes His displeasure known, that we may turn back to restored unbroken fellowship with Him. Proverbs 27:6 says "Faithful are the wounds of a friend. But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy." Given the choice, I think we all prefer gentle words. But harsh truth is better than gentle lies, and true friends speak truth.
Prayer today: Father, you are love. And even when you punish, it is because you love us. Help us to understand this and not to resent it, but to be thankful, because you only discipline those you love. Likewise, help us to have the courage to be truthful to speak the truth in love to those around us who need to be corrected. Help us not to sugarcoat our words because we want to be popular. For faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. Help us to be better friends. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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