One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #286, February 2025
Even though God loves every soul, and He finds pleasure in His creation, He hates sin and does everything in His power to punish it and cleanse us from its consequences. However, the book of Lamentations and God’s Disciplines remind us that this is a process that requires the active participation of believers, raising a flag of grace and truth.
Lamentations 5:1, “Remember O Lord, what is come upon us, consider, and behold our reproach.”
Like every aspect of life, there is a process we must go through when facing divine discipline. First, there is pain and remorse, followed by the consequences—physically, psychologically, and emotionally.
The Consequences of Sin and God’s Discipline
Briefly summarizing the text: Outside of God, we are all at a loss. We lose our standing in Him and move from a state of blessing to one of being cursed. Without Him, we become orphans, enslaved by the will of others, compromising for favor, and suffering because of rebellion. Sin makes us slaves—whether to people, habits, addictions, or other controlling forces. We are left to live by the law of the jungle, growing scarred and calloused, losing sensitivity to righteousness.
Yet, God never changes. Our judgments become impaired, and desperation overtakes frustration, leaving repentance as the only solution. It is always better to please God than to test His love. John declared that God is love, yet He is also a consuming fire. This fire does not seek to destroy us but to purge sin from our lives. When we sincerely seek to serve Him, He is faithful to perfect us in righteousness.
Lessons from Lamentations: The Power of God’s Disciplines
Some things are better left unknown, such as past sins that bring pain and corruption to our minds. However, we must never forget the lessons learned through divine judgment, chastisement, and discipline. God is faithful to His word. The natural law of cause and effect remains true—whatever seed we plant, we will reap its fruit. Those who sow to the flesh will reap corruption, but those who sow to the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Faith in God ensures that our prayers are heard. Rejection of God results in rejection before the Father. Sometimes, extreme hardship is necessary to appreciate extreme goodness. Knowledge often comes through comparison, and many are unsatisfied with learning from others’ experiences. Unfortunately, this generation has been spoiled and lacks anything to compare hardships against.
Lamentations and the Justice of God’s Disciplines
Justice demands that the punishment matches the crime, just as blessings reflect what a person deserves. This is the natural law of cause and effect. Regardless of the cause, the effect must run its course. In human minds, people often measure the severity of punishment against the magnitude of a blessing. To truly know God is to love Him; to know Him more brings greater value and reward, while ignorance leads to great loss.
Each generation adapts—children are born without knowledge and must learn. They accept everything as normal until someone or something teaches them otherwise. Adaptation to one’s environment comes easily, but breaking away from it is challenging. Jewish children adapted to their conditions, often making them worse or better for the next generation. However, history shows that the trend was more often toward spiritual decline. Even a small compromise can be deadly.
The Law, Lamentations, and the Restoration of God’s People
God gave the law to keep each generation aligned with His standard. If people strayed, the law was meant to guide them back. However, corrupt interpreters twisted the law for their benefit, leading the people astray. They welcomed the leniency but despised the consequences.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 summarizes the conclusion of the whole matter: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
God bless and Amen.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts