Chastening

Job 5:17 says, "Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth." (KJV).

Whenever the Lord corrects us, we must position ourselves to receive it with an open heart and with gratitude. Yes, with gratitude for Hebrews 12:10 says it is for our profit so that we might be partakers of His holiness.

By positioning ourselves to receive instruction, we are in a posture to accept the benefits of His divine training, although painful and unpleasant.

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby (Hebrews 12:11).

The original meaning of grievous means pain of body or mind, grief, sorrow. When we chose to accept the Lord’s discipline though we might experience pain, discomfort or sorrow but we are in a good place to receive His richest blessings.

How we respond to the Lord’s chastening will make all the difference in the outcome. We can give into pity, run from Him or receive His instruction willingly.

Sometimes the source of our chastening comes from the consequences of our disobedience. James tells us when we knew what is right, but fail to act it is sin (4:17). The consequences serve as an opportunity to receive from the Lord remedial instruction.

Take the life of King Saul. He disobeyed the commandment of the Lord to destroy Amalek. Amalek was long standing enemy of Israel. The Amalekites attacked the weak, faint and stragglers during Israel’s wilderness journey (Deuteronomy 25:17-18).

When Saul rejected God’s command, the Lord in turn rejected him as king of Israel (I Samuel 15:26). Saul excuses his disobedience by blaming the people who took only the best of the plunder for a sacrifice unto the Lord (verse 21).

The most telling response of Saul’s unchanged heart is when he seized the edge of Samuel’s robe and tore it. By grabbing Samuel’s mantle, Saul was attempting to take a hold of God’s authority given to the prophet. Saul not only lost the kingdom, but he lost the authority of being God’s appointed ruler.

Not all chastening is necessarily a result of sin. There is another chastening, which is discipline. Similar to child who learns right from wrong or is trained to behave properly we too receive instruction from Lord for our spiritual development. This discipline requires us to die to our wills daily so we can live as true children of God. But the rewards of receiving His chastening far outweigh any momentary discomfort and pain!