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Prov. 3:11-12

My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe His reproof. For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights (Prov. 3:11-12).

Some translations wrongly say "do not despise," but the better reading is "reject not." The Rabbis say, "What God sends upon you has a beneficent purpose; do not refuse to put it to proper use." They point out that the word "loathe" carries the thought of "to spurn," or "feel a loathing for" and "so create a feeling of resentment and rebelliousness." The proof of spirituality is to understand that God is sovereign and that He knows what He is doing with us.

God never disciplines His own just for judgment but because He loves His children and knows that the discipline, even if painful, is for the good of the one receiving it. On "whom the Lord loves," the Rabbis note, "is a deservedly famous saying." They add, "It is one of the deepest sayings in the Old Testament." They coined the beautiful phrase "chastenings of love" to "explain the sufferings of the righteous."

The great Scottish Calvinist George Lawson rightly says:

No ingredient is poured into the cup of affliction but by infinite wisdom and grace; nor shall the rod of Jehovah rest upon the lot of the righteous, longer than need requires. … To keep our minds from fainting, let us consider who it is that corrects us. It is the Lord, and all flesh must be silent before Him, and receive what evils He is pleased to appoint with reverence and resignation.

Waltke rightly concludes: "When the father's admonitions are violated, the son can expect the Lord to back it up with a 'spanking' to prevent the wrong from becoming habitual." God knows what He is doing and this is noted by Paul when he wrote: "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes" (Rom. 8:28). Everything comes together in one big mosaic to accomplish His purposes, even the painful discipline that reigns us back in to trust Him. And this in turn brings about inner peace and contentment!

–Dr. Mal Couch