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Lenten Devotion #11 Discipline yourself for joy
Episode 182nd March 2026 • Hobo Soul Podcast • Yvon Prehn
00:00:00 00:08:31

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Though this podcast is on discipline and Norm Wright that emphasizes Lent as a time for discipline, confession, and honesty, the speaker Yvon Prehn wants to challenge listeners to reconsider their views on discipline, suggesting that it does not have to be a heavy or depressing topic. Instead, she encourages a perspective that sees discipline as a pathway to happiness and peace. Drawing on biblical references, Prehn reminds us that God desires our joy and freedom from fear, emphasizing that true discipline involves not just confessing sins but also cleaning out incorrect ideas about God. This approach reframes discipline as a proactive, positive force in our lives, urging us to embrace joy and love rather than guilt and fear.

Takeaways:

  1. The podcast emphasizes the importance of discipline during the Lenten season for personal growth.
  2. We are encouraged to change our perspective on discipline from negative to positive approaches.
  3. Self-discipline is framed as a way to embrace joy and reject fear in our lives.
  4. We need to confront incorrect ideas about God that may hinder our spiritual journey.
  5. The message highlights that true joy comes from understanding God's love and presence in our lives.
  6. Daily challenges encourage us to reflect on how discipline can improve our overall happiness.

Links referenced in this episode:

  1. bible805.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

  1. Bible805.com
  2. Norm Wright

Transcripts

Speaker A:

Hi, welcome to the Hobo Soul podcast of road advice from the Bible and from me, Yvon Prehn, someone who's a little further down the road of life. I'll talk to you every weekday for about five to 10 minutes with periodic longer talks on serious Saturdays.

Let's get started with our topic today, which is Lenten devotion Day 11, Discipline yourself for happiness and peace, or to summarize it--for joy.

During this Lenten season, we're looking at quotes and challenges from my devotional book and journal.In Dying We Are Reborn that you can download for free on the Bible805.com website. Each day there's a daily quote and challenge from the book, which I will read to you and I'll then share my comments on them.

Now let me make a little note though, before I get into this. This podcast, like my one on holiness, I want to take you to a very different view of the topic than what it'll first sound like.

The topic today is on discipline, which can be kind of heavy and sort of depressing, but I have a very different approach that I'm going to take in it, and I'll share that in just a few minutes. But first, today's quote and challenge.

Today's quote comes from Norm Wright

Where he said, "Lent is a time for discipline, for confession, for honesty.

Not because God is mean or fault finding or finger pointing, but because he wants us to know the joy of being cleaned out, ready for all the good things he now has in store."

And today's challenge is,

"How would your life be different if you lived a carefully disciplined life?

2nd Timothy 1:7 says, For God does not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and self discipline.

Live into that reality."

Now, before beginning to write and record this podcast, I treated myself to two perfectly toasted and generously buttered with Irish butter, by the way, which I quite love, spread on very thickly on 2 pieces of seven grain toast with coffee. Now, I seldom do things like that.

My family background is German, Mennonite and Catholic.

And in my more black humor moments, sometimes in Bible studies or whatever, I've said things like I have enough guilt to, you know, pile on myself no matter what's going on. My heritage is just guilt.

Now I can joke about it, but in all honesty, it sometimes seems easier for me to believe that God's mad at me, that I've done something wrong. I'm not quite sure what it is, or that I don't deserve even buttered toast on an afternoon of writing because I'm such a sinful person.

Now, what I did that was wrong. I'm not sure what I did, but I'm sure I don't deserve a goodie.

Now I need to remember and discipline myself this Lent to realize that the Bible reminds and commands us

**in Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say it, rejoice.

**Psalms tell us this is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

**Nehemiah, when he was building the wall in Jerusalem, said, the joy of the Lord is your strength.

**In Thessalonians Paul reminds us, rejoice always.

**In Psalms again it says, be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy all you upright in heart.

**And in Romans it says, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

I need to remember that this negative stuff in my head is nine times out of ten does not come from God, but that Satan is the accuser of the brethren. That means day and night he is the one yammering in my ear, in your ear that you're no good, you're not good enough, you're not getting enough done.

And so I tell myself I need to discipline myself by punishing myself and being hungry when I work. That will show God how serious I am when I'm working, if I'm hungry while I'm doing it.

Or maybe, maybe I could discipline myself to rejoice.

Maybe what I need to clean out isn't just my love of buttered toast. Even if that was wrong. (which it isn't)

Maybe what I need to clean out are incorrect ideas about God.

We often think of cleaning out sins and of course we want to do that. But just as damaging as unconfessed sin are incorrect ideas about God. How can you tell if you need to do that?

How can you know if you need to discipline your ideas about God? Well, here's one way. Are you afraid? Now we can be afraid of all sorts of things. Now there may be very valid reasons.

If bombs are dropping around you or you live with a mentally ill person and you never know what the day will bring or someone's abusive or just all sorts of things. You may have genuine reasons for fear and know God cares about those situations and he will get you through them.

But most of us most of the time don't have true fear inducing experiences. And yet we live with a low hanging cloud of fear about, well, we're not even sure what it's about.

I recently heard a sermon where a pastor talked about keys to living a Christ centered life. And two of them were first of all, knowing how much God loves you. And another was don't be afraid.

And then he said that those two encouragements are actually flip sides of each other, wherein if we know and totally believe how much God loves us, we won't be afraid. I've been thinking about it a lot and I know he's right.

If we love someone, we will do all we can to protect them, to make certain they're safe and cared for. Every parent would do anything, even give their life, to make certain their child is safe, that their child has no reason to fear.

And to paraphrase a teaching by Jesus, if human parents would do that, how much more will your Father in heaven do all he can and remember, he can do anything to keep you safe, loved and free from fear.

Remember these verses

**In Isaiah. He says, do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will hold you up.

**In Psalm 23 we are familiar with this Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

**John 14 he told his disciples just before he left them, peace, I leave with you, my peace I give you. Don't let your hearts be troubled. Don't be afraid.

**And like the verse of our challenge in 2 Timothy 1:7, we need again to be reminded, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self discipline.

It's interesting to me that self discipline comes last, because sometimes I think that's what we need to remind us that we have power, love and no need to fear.

This Lent, discipline yourself to remember how much God loves you. Clean out your incorrect ideas about Him.

Discipline yourself to remind yourself that you are filled with love and power and have no reason to be afraid.

And then make yourself some hot buttered toast.

That's all for this podcast, for transcripts, links to related material, and much more to help you learn to know, trust, apply and teach the Bible, go to www.bible805.com for now, let me end with this benediction and prayer.

May you walk each day surrounded by the gracious love of the Father, guided by the gentle wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and conscious of the astound real presence of Jesus, who will walk with you until you're no more a hobo soul, no more a transient wandering heart, but at home in the kingdom prepared for you with your God forever. Amen.

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