Does God use positive or negative reinforcement?

June 25, 2008

2 Chronicles 14:2-7 GW
(2) Asa did what the LORD his God considered good and right.
(3) He got rid of the altars of foreign gods, broke down the sacred stones, and cut down the poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah.
(4) He told the people of Judah to dedicate their lives to serving the LORD God of their ancestors and follow his teachings and commands.
(5) He got rid of the illegal places of worship and the altars for incense in all the cities of Judah. The kingdom was at peace during his reign.
(6) He built fortified cities in Judah because the land had peace. There was no war during those years because the LORD gave him a time of peace.
(7) So Asa told Judah, "Let's build these cities and make walls around them with towers and doors that can be barred. The country is still ours because we have dedicated our lives to serving the LORD our God. We have dedicated our lives to him, and he has surrounded us with peace." So they built the cities, and everything went well.


There are two ways of discipline or training a person. Yesterday, the devotional focused on the negative aspects of things. You do wrong, God punishes you. It is the same way that many of us raise our kids and there is nothing wrong with it. It is called negative attention.

God would, however, like to give us positive attention. How do I know? Well I am a father and that is what I would like for my kids. I am built in the image of God. But today's scriptures show us it also. Asa took over from his father as king and got rid of all the sinful things around him. And for his reward, God gave him peace on all sides. Asa was even able to build up areas that had been torn down.

How would you like God to train you? Positive or negative?


Today

1 Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13:1-16:14
Tomorrow

1 Kings 15:25-16:34, 2 Chronicles 17:1-19

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