The chastening of the Lord


“My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction”, Prov (3:11). The Lord, all wise and all knowing, sometimes subjects us to His chastening for our own good. For it is His wisdom to allow for us to be trained, disciplined, and instructed in the affairs of life. The Lord’s chastening is borne out of His love for us, and aims to guide and lead us along the right paths.  It is wisdom for us to accept the Lord’s chastening in love, and with hearts humbled and totally submitted to His will. For when all be said and done, and we must squarely face the truth; not even we ourselves, love ourselves, as much as God loves us. This is why He thinks our good, seeks our good, purpose our good, and work all things together for our good. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” Rom (8:28). Not in all of the warnings, trainings, disciplining, instructing and even chastisement with pain, we receive from the Lord; does He desires to do us anything else other than good.

“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” Heb (12:11). Even, with the knowledge that chastening is for our ultimate good, and is carried out in love. The time of chastening is but painful and harsh, and to us it seems to reflect, not the love of the one chastening, but his hate. Harsh and painful as the Lord’s chastening may seem; it still is done in unerring love for our eventual good.
We must accept that chastening and chastisement are tools of wisdom; aimed at doing us good, and at making us, better persons. Not withstanding the pain, we must consider the gain. Of the wisdom attained during chastening, the scriptures say, “For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold” Prov (3:14). Because of its end, we should receive the Lord’s chastening; with gladness accept it; with diligence seek it; and in humility live by it.  Remember, His chastening is not meant to kill and destroy you, but rather to build and restore you.

To the children of Israel the Lord explained the reason for their wilderness experience in these words “that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end …” Deut (8:16). To humble you, to test you, and to do you good; these are the reasons for the Lord’s chastening; all essential and vital for good success. The Lord plans and purposes that we have good success; and chastening is an integral part of this plan. His desire is to prepare us for success, to prepare us to succeed.  We must be chastened (shaped) for success. Since we do always err, the Lord will always correct, because He chastens us to bless us. As His words says ‘to do you good in the end’.  

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