Giants

I am currently doing a bible study on the book of Daniel with some lovely ladies from my church.  The bible study is from a popular female author and public speaker.  The first bible study I did four years ago was one of hers and her sweet words helped lead me to Christ.  But as I've grown and learned more about who God is, I've discovered the difference between legalism & grace and  how to divide the word from the old covenant & the new covenant.
Last night, I was cringing at what she was teaching.  She was talking about God's punishment of us to keep us in line.  She referred to times or seasons of "chastisement" from God.  It reminded me of a conversation I recently had with a dear friend facing some difficult struggles... she kept asking God, "What is the lesson here, Lord? What are you trying to teach me?"
I may be a "toddler" in my Christian walk, but I believe what God has told me and shown me through others.... God does not punish us to teach us a lesson. He loves us with all of the power and might that He is.  He might allow us to deal with the consequences of our choices (that's part of the free will that He gave us), but He doesn't punish us in order to put us in right standing with Him.  Jesus did that when He died on the cross.  He was the final sacrifice that brought us all to full righteousness with God. Hence, the new covenant.

It's the enemy that is spreading the lies that say God is punishing us to make us walk according to His will.  God is a just, merciful, grace-filled, loving God who does everything for our good.  When bad things happen, it's not God teaching us a lesson -- it's because of the evilness of the world and the consequences of that.  And even when we can't immediately see the blessing or goodness from God, it's there -- we are just seeing it from our own, small perspective... not Heaven's perspective.  

I always picture what a mountain range looks like from an airplane.  To us on the ground, the mountains we face seem daunting and huge... but from Heaven's perspective, they are merely small bumps in our journey.  Kind of like David's perspective of Goliath.  Everyone else saw Goliath as a giant, unstoppable beast of a man that no one could take down.
But David saw him from Heaven's perspective... as just another animal (lions and bears, oh my!) that needed to be struck down in order to protect his flock.  The mountains and giants we face aren't big to God... only to us.  We have to face life and our struggles from Heaven's perspective... knowing that the Creator of all things not only has our backs, but is walking in front of us and beside us.  The only lesson He is trying to teach us is to trust in Him. No punishment... just faith, hope and love. Isn't that all He asks?