After you have accepted the cure by believing God’s instructions for receiving salvation, you experienced grace and mercy first hand. You felt God’s forgiveness bring love, joy, and peace inside your heart; this experience let you know that God accepted you as His child. And, as His child, He accepts you just like you are. But, as His child, He disciplines you when you need it. This discipline will always come out of God’s heart of love (Hebrews 12:6-11).

This discipline is where we fail to see any benefits coming from it. We came to God with all kinds of problems and issues that we wanted Him to help us get rid of. And we all did experience a lot of mighty healings and deliverances from these circumstances. But, then we found ourselves getting new problems and other issues that needed to be dealt with; this caused confusion and frustration in us.

We have all experienced the pain of injury and pain that comes from being treated for the injury. Antibotics burn the very sore we are trying to bring healing to. Surgery cuts into the very body that is already damaged by something that needs to be cut out. Damaged limbs have to be pulled on to reset bones that have been broken. One kind of pain comes from us being hurt and damaged and other kinds of pain come constructively for the purpose of bringing healing.

The problems and issues you had prior to salvation came into your life to steal from you, kill you spiritually, and destroy your life. John 10:10 (NIV) The thief comes ONLY TO steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Satan, the thief described in this verse, was giving you problems, issues, and struggles so as to steal, kill, and destroy you. Heb 12:7 (NIV) Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? Any new issues, problems, or difficulties that come your way will bring life to the full.

We all know life is never going to be perfect; we are all going to have to face the issues of life whether we are a Christian or not. However, the Christian gets issues that are bringing cure and the sinner is getting issues that are bringing theft, death, and destruction. John 16:33 (NIV) I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you WILL have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.