God's Discipline

Do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Proverbs 3:11-12

Discipline means "to teach and to train." Discipline sounds negative to many people, because some disciplinarians are not at all loving; indeed, they are the exact opposite. God, however, is the source of all love. He does not punish us because he enjoys inflicting pain (as some would have you believe), but because he is deeply concerned about our developement and well-being. He knows that in order to become morally strong and good, we must first learn the difference between right and wrong. His loving discipline enables us to do that. It's difficult to know that God has been disciplining us until we look back on the situation later. Not every calamity comes directly from God, of course. But if we rebel against God and refuse to repent when God has identified some sin in our lives, He may use conviction, crisis, or unfortunate experience to bring us back to Him. Sometimes, however, difficult times come even when there is no flagrant sin in our lives. Then, as it was with Job, our response should be patience, integrity, and confidence that God will show us what to do.

God Bless you,

JH