Chasing The Dragon

Part 1 — When God Speaks Through Disorder

Most people live their lives like a man running from an invisible pursuer.

The schedule is full. The phone never stops. The heart is heavy. The smile is practiced.

And somehow—somehow—even with every distraction and every escape and every ambition…

peace never lands.

It’s silent, this ache.

A restless weight pressing behind the bones.

A turmoil that most will only try to outrun.

The world claps and says,

“Keep going!”

But heaven whispers, “Stop. Listen. This isn’t merely stress.”

We imagine the discipline of the Lord to be thunder crashing against our rebellion, a sudden catastrophe, a divine shaking.

But what if the discipline is already happening?

What if it’s not breaking in—but breaking through what you’ve called normal?

There are those who feel it—like a low-grade storm beneath the skin.

Their lives are loud, yet their souls are silent.

They lie awake at night, not from terror, but from the absence of rest.

Their families are in constant motion, yet always on the brink of unraveling.

Their minds race like engines that won’t shut off.

They are driven—but not directed.

Successful—but not settled.Alive—but not at peace.

This is discipline.

Not punishment. Not anger.

But the Father’s firm hand… lovingly refusing to let His children find satisfaction in hollow gods.

“For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.” — Hebrews 12:6

God will let a season unravel if it keeps your soul from losing Him.

He will allow the tower you built to shake, the illusion you loved to crumble, the door you forced

open to slam shut.

Not because He abandoned you.

But because He’s pursuing you.

And most don’t see it.

Most will call it “bad luck,”

“burnout,”

“just life.”

Some will get angry.

Some will ignore it.

And some—very few—will finally stop and ask:

“Lord… is this You?”

That question alone can save a life.

There is a discipline that comes like lightning.

And then there is the discipline that comes like exhaustion.

Like betrayal.Like frustration.

Like everything that should satisfy… no longer does.

God’s discipline is not always a punishment for sin.

Often it is a rescue from counterfeit gods.

It is mercy wrapped in unrest.

It is love disguised as frustration.

It is your Father refusing to let you settle for less than His life for YOU and ME.

THE HIDDEN DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD

Part 2 — The Fast-Life and the Slow Death

Some believe judgment comes suddenly.

A bolt of lightning. A collapse. A crisis.

And yes—sometimes it does.

But more often, judgment comes dressed as a lifestyle.

A pace too fast for the soul.

A life too full for God.

A heart always busy, but never at rest.

The Devil doesn’t need to tempt you with scandal if he can keep you exhausted.

He doesn’t need to lure you into wickedness if he can trap you in endless activity.

He doesn’t need to make you fall if he can make you run past conviction, past presence, past stillness—past the voice of God.

Most people don’t realize they are being disciplined by the Lord

because they mistake chaos for normalcy

and call exhaustion “responsibility.

”But listen—

God is not impressed with your pace.

He is deeply concerned with your trajectory.

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength. ” — Isaiah 30:15

But they would not.

They would not slow down.

They would not surrender their calendars.

They would not question their addictions to noise.

They refused silence.

They fled stillness.

They avoided the very spaces where God speaks.

So the Lord let them feel the ache of their own momentum.

A man who lives at 100 miles an hour feels powerful, productive, unstoppable—

but often, he is dying by degrees.

His spirit is starving.

His children are growing up without his presence.

His heart is becoming numb, and his affections calloused.

Then the bottom drops out.

Peace is gone.

Relationships fracture.

Prayer feels impossible.

The Word becomes distant.Every victory feels empty.

Every night ends in quiet torment.

He thinks it’s burnout.

He thinks it’s the weight of responsibility.

But heaven calls it what it is:

discipline.

Not to destroy him.

Not to condemn him.

But to wake him up.

For the Father who disciplines is the same Father who redeems.

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” — Revelation 3:19

God’s discipline is not the strike of a hammer—

it is the removal of counterfeit peace.

He lets anxiety rise.

He lets emptiness expose the idols.

He lets the machinery of self-effort break down.

He lets the reputation fail.

He lets the appearance collapse.

He lets the success sour.

Why?

Because anything that kills your hunger for God is an enemy to your destiny.

And God loves you too much to let you succeed without Him.

Never be deceived, “the good is the enemy of the best”

THE HIDDEN DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD

Part 3 — The Whisper That Saves

There comes a moment—

not loud, not violent, not obvious—

but a moment like the turning of a tide

when the Father speaks…

not to hurt, but to rescue.

It does not sound like thunder.

It rarely sounds like rebuke.

It sounds like the soft voice you’ve been too busy to hear.

A whisper.

That whisper is mercy.

It cuts through the noise like light through fog,

and if you’re listening—really listening—you’ll feel the earth stand still.

You’ll sense something ancient in your spirit leaning toward eternity.

You’ll know—though no one around you sees it—

Heaven just breathed.

Sometimes the whisper comes as a scripture you’ve read a thousand times,

but suddenly it reads you.

Sometimes it comes as a thought —

“Why are you still doing this?”

“Why are you afraid?”“Why are you running?”

Sometimes it comes as a sensation—

a stillness you can’t explain,

a soft grief you can’t ignore,

a longing that has no earthly name.

Sometimes, it comes simply as an invitation:

Stop. Come to Me. I’m here.

He does not shout—because He is close.

He whispers—because you must choose to hear.

“And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” — 1 Kings 19:12

And in that whisper, there is always a crossroads.

One road says: “Ignore this. Keep going. Stay strong.”

The other says: “Surrender. Let go. Turn toward Him.”

And every destiny—every revival—every redemption—

hangs in the balance of that moment.

Because the whisper of God is not a suggestion.

It is a lifeline.

A rope thrown into the waters before the ship sinks.

A medicine before the disease takes over.

A warning that sounds like tenderness:

“You are drifting. Come home.”

The whisper of God is the mercy before the shaking.

It is the kindness that leads to repentance.

It is the discipline that saves your life by calling you back to the One who gave it.

To the one who hears, the whisper becomes thunder.

To the one who welcomes it, life begins again.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” — Hebrews 3:15

God’s loudest judgments often begin as ignored whispers.

But His greatest restorations begin when someone finally says:

“Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.”

THE HIDDEN DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD

Part 4 — The Difference Between Condemnation and Discipline

Many live under a cloud of fear,

convinced that every hardship, every struggle, every failure

is a sign that God is angry at them.

They feel condemned—

abandoned—

unworthy of love.

But hear this:

Condemnation and discipline may look similar from the outside—

but they come from two very different hearts.Condemnation pushes you away.

Discipline draws you near.

Condemnation points to your sin and says,

“You are what you did.”

Discipline sees your sin and says,

“You are more than this.”

Condemnation shouts,

“You’re guilty!”

Discipline whispers,

“You’re mine.”

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1

If you are in Christ,

God will correct you, confront you, and discipline you—

but He will never condemn you.

Not even for a moment.

Condemnation is the voice of the enemy meant to destroy you.

Discipline is the voice of the Father meant to restore you.

Condemnation is hopeless.

Discipline is hopeful.

It looks at the worst version of you and declares,

“This is not the end—this is where the refining begins.”

Discipline says,

“I love you too much to let you build your life on a lie.”

“I won’t let you become enslaved to what I died to free you from.”

“I won’t let you self-destruct while calling it success.”

“I won’t let you silence My voice and still believe you’re walking in light.”

“For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.” — Hebrews 12:6

Discipline is not proof of rejection.

It is proof of belonging.

You feel the difference deep in your spirit:

● Condemnation crushes the heart.

Discipline cuts—but it heals.

● Condemnation demands perfection.

Discipline forms character.

● Condemnation says,

“You failed, therefore you’re a failure.”

Discipline says,

“You failed, therefore I’m teaching you to stand.”

God does not discipline you as a stranger.

He disciplines you as a son,

as a daughter,

as someone He has claimed,

covered,

and called by name.

His discipline is not about pain—

it is about purpose.

It is about removing everything that keeps you from Him.It is about building a life that reflects His glory.

And when the heart understands this—

discipline no longer feels like punishment.

It begins to feel like mercy.

Because it is.

THE HIDDEN DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD

Part 5 — The School of the Spirit

Not all discipline feels like disaster.

In fact, most of God’s discipline in your life will look like something far quieter —

a teaching.

A prompting.

Sometimes a warning.

Sometimes a reminder.

Discipline is not just what God does to you.

It is also what God does in you.

It is the precious, invisible work of the Holy Spirit.

He is not just the Comforter—

He is also the Instructor.

He is the One who steps into your thought life, your words, your attitude, your motives —

and gives you a holy pause.

Just a whisper:

“Don’t say that.”

“Let that go.”

“Forgive now, before the wound grows.”

“Slow down.”

“Turn the other way.”

“That thought—take it captive.”

Most people overlook these moments.

They chalk them up to “gut feelings” or “passing thoughts.”

But the one who knows the voice of God knows:

This is discipline. This is training. This is love.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” — Colossians 3:15

God’s first classroom is often the heart.

Before He trains your behavior,

He touches your desires.

Before He shapes your ministry,

He shapes your motives.

Before He gives you authority,

He teaches you obedience.

The discipline of the Spirit is not angry—it is intimate.

It is less about punishing sin and more about forming Christ.

It is not a cage—it is a craft.

“We are His workmanship…” — Ephesians 2:10

Some days you’ll feel it as conviction—sharp, clear, unmistakable.

Other days, it will feel like gentle grief—

a soft ache that says,

“That wasn’t My heart.”

But always—always—it will carry one unmistakable mark:

“I’m making you like Him.”

There will come a day when you look back and realize

the quietest moments were the most supernatural.

That the real power wasn’t in the outward miracles,

but in the inward transformation.

That His discipline didn’t break you—

It braced you.

It didn’t chase you away—

It drew you nearer.

It didn’t shame you—

It changed you.

And if you stay in this School of the Spirit—

if you keep listening, keep yielding, keep responding—

you will find yourself at the end of the story,

not merely a forgiven sinner,

but a formed son.

Not merely a rescued soul,

but a refined vessel.

This is the purpose of discipline.

Not to make you afraid of God,but to make you like Him.

THE HIDDEN DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD

Part 6 — The Fruit of Discipline and the Peace That Follows

The discipline of the Lord is not the end of the story.

It is the doorway into wholeness, peace, and purpose.

When the fire passes,

when the pride breaks,

when the noise fades—

What remains is not a shattered soul,

but a son or daughter made strong.

This is the fruit that grows on the tree of holy discipline:

1. Deep and Lasting Peace

Not the fragile peace that depends on calm circumstances—

but the kind that flows from God Himself.

Not from perfection.

Not from control.

But from surrender.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on

You, because he trusts in You.” — Isaiah 26:3

Peace isn’t the absence of storms.

Peace is the presence of the Shepherd in the storm.

2. Joy that Doesn’t Depend on Outcomes

Discipline prunes away the false sources of joy.

It frees you from the need to be understood, validated, or successful.

What’s left is unshakeable joy—

rooted in God, not in gain.

A joy that can weep.

A joy that can wait.

A joy that survives disappointment.

3. Authority in the Spirit

Those who have passed through the Father’s hand

carry something the superficial do not:

Authority.

Not loud.

Not flashy.

But weighty—because it was bought

with tears, obedience, and burning.

The disciplined soul becomes a vessel God can trust.

4. Clarity of Purpose

Things that used to seem foggy now feel focused.

What once felt scattered now pulls together in harmony.

You were not made to chase a hundred things.

You were made for one great calling—

and discipline clears the way for it.

You begin to see the story God is writing.

The assignment He is unlocking.

The lives waiting on your yes.

5. A Soft and Teachable Heart

Those who resist discipline grow bitter.

Those who receive it grow tender.

You become impossible to offend.

Eager to learn.

Quick to repent.

God is not looking for perfect people—

but flexible people who bend to His hand.

6. A Love for Holiness

Not the holiness of rule-keeping

but the holiness of delight.

You do not avoid sin because of fear—

You avoid it because it no longer fits the new you.

You become allergic to darkness.

You hunger for purity.And your heart leans toward His ways.

7. A Father-Level Understanding of His Heart

Those who have endured His discipline

carry His perspective.

You begin to see like He sees:

With compassion.

With truth.

With hope for others.

You don’t just believe in discipline—

you pray for it,

because you know what it produces.

This is maturity.

This is sonship.

This is the fruit of fire.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace

for those who have been trained by it.” — Hebrews 12:11

You thought you were being punished.

But you were being prepared.

You thought He was breaking you.

But He was building you.The discipline of God is not the mark of rejection—

it is the seal of belonging.

Closing: The Father’s Hand and the Child Who Trusts

There was a time you ran from His hand.

You mistook His correction for anger.

You saw His discipline as distance.

But then…

through fire and wind

through the ache and the hush

you heard the whisper:

“I discipline those I love.”

You were not abandoned.

You were being claimed.

Every closed door

every interrupted plan

every inner problem you couldn’t solve—

they were not signs of failure,

but a Father drawing near.

He is not breaking you.

He is forming you.

Not punishing you.

Preparing you for something higher.

The discipline of the Lord is not the chains of the condemned.

It is the craftsmanship of the Beloved.

It is the hand of a gentle Father

building a warrior-child who can carry glory.

A Prayer for the Disciplined Soul

Father, give us eyes to see Your hand.

Not as a judge condemning, but as a Father restoring.

Turn our running into resting.

Turn our resistance into surrender.

Teach us to welcome Your interruptions.

To trust Your unseen work.

To submit joyfully to Your process.

Let us treasure Your discipline—

not because it is easy,

but because it is love.

And when the fire has passed,

let us emerge with Your peace, Your purpose, and Your heart.

Sons and daughters tested by fire

but glowing with Your glory.

Amen.

“And when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” — Job 23:10

By His Grace to His servant Scott