Appreciate It for What It Is and What It Does!

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. (Prov 3:11-12)

In today's post I am going to use "I" statements because I don't want to assume that everyone has the same thoughts or feelings about the chastening and correction of the Lord. Nor do I want to assume that everyone has experienced the benefits of them that I have. Today, by using these "I" statements, it is my sincerest desire that everyone who reads this will come to appreciate the chastening and correction of the Lord for what it is and for what it has the power to do in the lives of those who receive it. So, let me start by telling you what these two things are to me.

The chastening and correction of the Lord are proof that I belong to him, they're proof that I am indeed a son of the most high God; the chastening and correction I reeive from my God are two of the many proofs of my Christianity. And here's why.

For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. (Heb12:6-8)

I know, from this scripture in Hebrews, that when the Lord disciplines me, or corrects me, that he is dealing with me as a son.  He is dealing with me as his child, who he loves more than anything else in the world, and only wants the best for.  This, first and foremost, is what the chastening and correction of the Lord is for me.  It is proof that my faith is not in vain.  Among many other things.

Now let me show you what it does.  I my life the chastening and correction of the Lord does three major things besides the obvious which is to change any conduct that isn't Christ like.  The first thig it does is give revelation.  The Lord chastens and corrects according to the word of God and when I am being sensitive and receptive to what he is telling me, I always come out of the encounter with a greater understanding of something in his word than I had going in.  Scripture, either individual passages, sections of scripture, select teachings, or the word of God as a whole, always has more meaning and power in my life after I have been chastened and corrected.

The second thing is does is it produces wisdom.  Not just knowledge, but wisdom which is taking the knowledge you possess and applying it to your life.  When I am in the wrong and the Lord has to correct me, he always, as long as I am paying attention to his correction, shows me, according to his Word, what I did wrong, why it was wrong, and what I should have done instead.  He shows me how to do it and reminds me that his Holy Spirit will enable me to do it.  I have learned that God, in his correction, expects the action or actions he is correcting to be changed, not repeated over and over again which is why he provided me with the wisdom to do better.

And the third thing the chastening and correction of the Lord does is to draw me closer to him. In those moments of chastening and correction in which I am not only being scolded, but I am also being ministered to, mentored, and loved, I experience an intimacy with my God that exceeds anything I could ever have imagined. This intimacy is not exclusive to the moments of chastening and correction, it originates there bit it extends past those moments and becomes a part of my every day life. Every time I have one of these moments I come out of it with a stronger, more intimate relationship with God than I possessed went I went in. Why? Because, in his correction God also comforts me, in his chastening he also eases my pain, in the moments when he has to visit me and demand better from me he shows me how to be better and guides me through it. These are the things the chastening and correction of the Lord do for me.

Please understand that none of this is possible without me first allowing it to be. I had to come to understand why Proverbs tells us not to despise the chastening of the Lord, not detest his correction. It’s because anything I detest or despise I won’t have any part in. I don’t want it in me, around me, near me, and if I see it approaching I’ll do my best to get away from it. That is what I used to do when the Lord wanted to correct me. But no more and not ever again because I have come to know and appreciate what the chastening and correction of the Lord is, and I have experienced what it does in my life. My prayer for everyone who read this is that you will too.

Let the Lord chasten and correct you. Don’t resist it or reject it and see what happens. I guarantee it will be a life changing experience for you. And I will not lie, that are going to be moments where God tells you to do something your natural self doesn’t want to do. There are going to be painful moments where you may have to leave certain things or people behind that your natural self still has a craving or yearning for. There are going to be moments when he convicts you so strongly that it brings you to tears. But when it’s over you are going to have a new appreciation, respect, and love for the Lord you serve. Your perception and reality that you went in with is going to be totally different when it’s over. God bless.

Prayer for the day: Loving Father, help us to understand that your discipline strengthens our relationship with you. Help us to want to remove those habits and desires in our loves that keep us from being the people you want us to be. Amen.