Day 9/14 – The Value of Self-discipline

———/://///

Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
The Value of Self-discipline
Day Two Hundred Fifty-seven

“But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:31

Paul rebuked the Corinthians for the way they conducted themselves at the Lord’s Table. “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” 341 The Holy Spirit judged them, not in the sense of condemning them, but by chastising them that they “may not be condemned along with the world.” God had to discipline them because they refused to discipline themselves.

You can either discipline yourself, or you can let Christ do it for you. If you do it, He does not need to do it. You discipline yourself by keeping your heart tender and teachable before the Lord, and by keeping His commandments. To the degree that you walk in obedience to His Spirit, you diminish His need to chastise you.

Paul told the Corinthians that their sickness and death were the judgment of Christ for their behavior at the Lord’s Table. They could make the connection between their sin and Christ’s discipline, because Paul made it for them. When you fail to discipline yourself, you not only invite the discipline of Christ, but you bring confusion into your life. For when he chastises you, you cannot distinguish between His discipline and the general flow of tribulation and troubles that come into your life. You are better off disciplining yourself rather than forcing someone else to do it for you.

341 I Corinthians 11:30

———/://///

Proverbs 19-21 2 Corinthians 7 (New King James Version)

Proverbs 19-21
The Fear of the Lord Leads to Life
19
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
2
Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
And he sins who hastens with his feet.
3
The foolishness of a man twists his way,
And his heart frets against the Lord.
4
Wealth makes many friends,
But the poor is separated from his friend.
5
A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not escape.
6
Many entreat the favor of the nobility,
And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.
7
All the brothers of the poor hate him;
How much more do his friends go far from him!
He may pursue them with words, yet they [a]abandon him.
8
He who gets [b]wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will find good.
9
A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies shall perish.
10
Luxury is not fitting for a fool,
Much less for a servant to rule over princes.
11
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
12
The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.
13
A foolish son is the ruin of his father,
And the contentions of a wife are a continual [c]dripping.
14
Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15
Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And an idle person will suffer hunger.
16
He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who [d]is careless of his ways will die.
17
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given.
18
Chasten your son while there is hope,
And do not set your heart [e]on his destruction.
19
A man of great wrath will suffer punishment;
For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
20
Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter days.
21
There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
22
What is desired in a man is [f]kindness,
And a poor man is better than a liar.
23
The fear of the Lord leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil.
24
A lazy man buries his hand in the [g]bowl,
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
25
Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary;
Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.
26
He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother
Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
27
Cease listening to instruction, my son,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28
A [h]disreputable witness scorns justice,
And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
29
Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And beatings for the backs of fools.
Wine Is a Mocker
20
Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
2
The [i]wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.
3
It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.
4
The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
5
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.
6
Most men will proclaim each his own [j]goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?
7
The righteous man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after him.
8
A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.
9
Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”?
10
Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.
11
Even a child is known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.
12
The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The Lord has made them both.
13
Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.
14
“It is [k]good for nothing,” cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.
15
There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16
Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.
17
Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18
Plans are established by counsel;
By wise counsel wage war.
19
He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.
20
Whoever curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
21
An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
Will not be blessed at the end.
22
Do not say, “I will [l]recompense evil”;
Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.
23
Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord,
And dishonest scales are not good.
24
A man’s steps are of the Lord;
How then can a man understand his own way?
25
It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.
26
A wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.
27
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord,
Searching all the [m]inner depths of his heart.
28
Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by [n]lovingkindness he upholds his throne.
29
The glory of young men is their strength,
And the splendor of old men is their gray head.
30
Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
As do stripes the [o]inner depths of the heart.
The Lord Considers the Heart
21
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the [p]rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.
2
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.
3
To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4
A haughty look, a proud heart,
And the [q]plowing of the wicked are sin.
5
The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
6
Getting treasures by a lying tongue
[r]Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.
7
The violence of the wicked will [s]destroy them,
Because they refuse to do justice.
8
The way of [t]a guilty man is perverse;
But as for the pure, his work is right.
9
Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
10
The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
11
When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12
The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked,
Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness.
13
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.
14
A gift in secret pacifies anger,
And a bribe [u]behind the back, strong wrath.
15
It is a joy for the just to do justice,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
16
A man who wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17
He who loves pleasure will be a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18
The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous,
And the unfaithful for the upright.
19
Better to dwell [v]in the wilderness,
Than with a contentious and angry woman.
20
There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man squanders it.
21
He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
22
A wise man [w]scales the city of the mighty,
And brings down the trusted stronghold.
23
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.
24
A proud and haughty man—“Scoffer” is his name;
He acts with arrogant pride.
25
The desire of the lazy man kills him,
For his hands refuse to labor.
26
He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and does not spare.
27
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!
28
A false witness shall perish,
But the man who hears him will speak endlessly.
29
A wicked man hardens his face,
But as for the upright, he [x]establishes his way.
30
There is no wisdom or understanding
Or counsel against the Lord.
31
The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance is of the Lord.
Footnotes:
• Proverbs 19:7 Lit. are not
• Proverbs 19:8 Lit. heart
• Proverbs 19:13 Irritation
• Proverbs 19:16 Is reckless, lit. despises
• Proverbs 19:18 Lit. to put him to death; a Jewish tradition on his crying
• Proverbs 19:22 Lit. lovingkindness
• Proverbs 19:24 LXX, Syr. bosom; Tg., Vg. armpit
• Proverbs 19:28 Lit. witness of Belial, worthless witness
• Proverbs 20:2 Lit. fear or terror, produced by the king’s wrath
• Proverbs 20:6 Lit. mercy
• Proverbs 20:14 Lit. evil, evil
• Proverbs 20:22 repay
• Proverbs 20:27 Lit. rooms of the belly
• Proverbs 20:28 mercy
• Proverbs 20:30 Lit. rooms of the belly
• Proverbs 21:1 channels
• Proverbs 21:4 Or lamp
• Proverbs 21:6 LXX Pursue vanity on the snares of death; Vg. Is vain and foolish, and shall stumble on the snares of death; Tg. They shall be destroyed, and they shall fall who seek death
• Proverbs 21:7 Lit. drag them away
• Proverbs 21:8 Or The way of a man is perverse and strange;
• Proverbs 21:14 Under cover, lit. in the bosom
• Proverbs 21:19 Lit. in the land of the desert
• Proverbs 21:22 Climbs over the walls of
• Proverbs 21:29 Qr., LXX understands

2 Corinthians 7
The Corinthians’ Repentance
7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
The Corinthians’ Repentance
2 Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.
5 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. 6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the [a]consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.
The Joy of Titus
13 Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. 15 And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. 16 Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.
Footnotes:
• 2 Corinthians 7:7 comfort