The Chastening Of The Lord

-November 18, 2021-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a Father the son in whom he delights.”

(Proverbs 3:11-12).

Our Heavenly Father loves us so much, and wants the best for us in every way. He will not allow us to go astray without bringing His hand of chastening into our lives. Another word for chastening is discipline. God often progresses from soft words to stronger words, to painful experiences to get our attention. In extreme cases, He may take us home to heaven prematurely.

When God disciplines us, we should accept it, repent, and turn back to Him. No Christian can be happy outside God’s will, in fact, he or she will be miserable. God knows that when He brings hard times in our lives it is to spare us from something worse that we may fall into. God doesn’t discipline the unsaved. He uses losses and other difficulties to bring them to salvation. God has different purposes for His children.

God shows His love and delight to His children. He knows exactly what to use to wake us up. There is a difference between trials and discipline. The former comes into our lives for our growth and dependence on the Lord. The latter is designed to convict us of some sin. Both are painful, both are spiritually profitable for us. When some affliction comes into our lives, the first thing we should ask the Lord is, “Have I sinned Lord? “Have I done or said something I shouldn’t have?” If the answer is no, then it is a trial not a discipline.

Just as earthly parents disciplined us for our God, so too, God disciplines us that we may share His holiness. Hebrews 12:9-10 says, “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.”

Discipline is painful, but the results are profitable for us. Hebrews 12:11 says, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God knows when to turn up the heat, and how high to turn it to. David experienced God’s chastening when he didn’t repent of his sins of adultery and murder. Psalm 32:2-3 show what he went through, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For night and day Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality turned into the drought of summer.”

May we sensitive to the Holy Spirit and when God disciplines us, repent quickly and turn to the Lord. God shows His love as our Father and uses people and circumstances to get our attention. Even when we stray, God never stops loving us.

Have a blessed day listening to the Lord and responding. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean