“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” Hebrews‬ ‭5:8‬

One of the lies Satan has been feeding us for years is that God is an angry, vindictive God who wants to destroy us. Nothing is farther from the truth. God is holy to be sure, and because he is holy he can’t allow sin to be in his children.

God is also the loving parent. A loving parent guides their children on the right path. When they stray, they are redirected. As they grow older, they choose the way that was shown them.

But growing is hard. We make bad choices. Friends abandon us. Dreams are crushed. What we hope for vanishes. But it’s the painful things in life that make us strong.

Even Jesus learned to obey through the power of the same Holy Spirit that indwells each of us as his followers.

When you encounter difficulty ask your Heavenly Father to give you wisdom. Is this a redirection or is this a pruning? Both are painful. One requires action on your part (confession/repentance), the other requires action on God’s part ( the vine dresser in John 15). During pruning our part is to rest knowing his way is best.

Your Heavenly Father loves you unconditionally and with no limit. What you are going through may not be understood now, but it is not without purpose and is under the watchful eye of a loving parent.