God's Discipline

For Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Proverbs 3:11-12

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.

Are you experiencing trials at this time? Do you feel like you are going through a specially difficult time? Then consider the "devotional" written by the writer of Hebrews on this proverb.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (12:7-11).

We are disciplined for a reason. God is correcting us. We are not merely to get through our trial; we are to come out of it having learned a lesson and stronger for it. Do not make the mistake of thinking that the lesson is seeing more clearly the sins of others. Discipline is for the purpose of correcting our own sins. What is it that God would have you see about yourself? Do the difficult work of examing yourself. It is that difficult work which yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.