For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. Hebrews 12:6
What is the worst punishment you ever received from your parents for doing something wrong? If you are anything like me, you can recall times of being chastised for saying bad words, or telling lies, or taking something that didn’t belong to you. As the years have flown by, and the chastisements are long gone, we tend to forget the pain and inconvenience of our punishments. But there are two things that remain: the corrected behaviour because of the punishments, and the knowledge that our parents corrected us because they truly cared for us. Those times of punishment made a difference to me, and I am sure they did for you. For example, there are some things that I won’t do on the Lord’s Day that others around me have no problem with, because my parents corrected me for doing inappropriate things on Sundays when I was a youngster. They loved me and wanted me to be different from the uncaring and irreverent world. That is why we should not be discouraged when the Lord corrects us when we need it.
You cannot disagree with me when I declare that we are often disobedient children of God. We misbehave far more than we would like. And we need to be corrected. Sometimes our foolishness makes us think we know better than what the Word of God directs, and God has to straighten us out on that. Sometimes we forget or ignore what we have been taught, and God has to bring us back into line. But the fact that He does so is wonderful proof that we are His children. Just as our parents corrected us because they truly cared and wanted us to be better than our misbehaviour, so God will chasten us for the same reasons. I recall one young man who professed to be saved. But he continued in some sinful practices that would be a poor testimony for a Christian. It was pointless to remind him of the Christian character that God expected of him, because he just didn’t care. Today, he continues on in his sin, and will tell you if you ask that he is not a Christian at all. On the other hand, we all know young Christians who have sinned, some of them grievously, but who God dealt with in such a way that they repented of that sin and straightened out the problems in their lives. They were the objects of the love of a Father Who cared and Who chastised.
It is possible for parents, and for others who have a care over us, to punish us wrongfully, or to withhold punishment that we deserve. Not so with God. He loves us too much to let us go uncorrected. And if we receive His correction as we should, we will benefit in two ways: we will be better Christians, and we will have a deeper appreciation of our Father’s love for us. – Jim MacIntosh