Acknowledge God's Discipline

Proverbs 3:11–12 (NKJV) ¹¹My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; ¹²For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

The fourth principle we see in Proverbs 3 as we begin this New Year is “Acknowledge God’s Discipline.”  The writer begins verse 11 saying “do not despise the chastening of the Lord.”  God’s chastening was part of the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:14 (NKJV) ¹⁴I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. For those he loved if they departed from God’s ways and walked in iniquity they would be chastened even the king.  The challenge goes on to not “detest correction.”  It may be important here to remember the difference between discipline and punishment.  Discipline or correction desires to bring back to the proper behavior and fellowship.  Punishment on the other hand is payback for what was done wrong. 

Discipline or correction is a sign of God’s love just as it is a sign of a Father’s love.   Proverbs 13:24 (ESV) ²⁴Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. So rather than despising God’s discipline and correction we can be thankful for it rather than like a fool who “despises his father’s instruction” (Prov. 15:5; cf. Prov. 12:1; 13:18; Prov. 29:17).

Just as some children foolishly resist parental discipline, we are warned not to ‘reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe his reproof’ (v. 11). Some professing Christians become bitter and even angry with God when they endure physical and emotional pain. Others are tempted to despair, wallowing in their misery. Instead, we should remember that we are children in whom our heavenly Father delights (v. 12b) and that he is sovereignly allowing us to suffer because he loves us (13:24). Thank God that he cares enough about us to discipline us as a father and doesn’t let us get away with much for long. Unlike that of our earthly fathers, God’s discipline is perfect (Heb. 12:9–10), which means that you can be sure that every trial that comes into your life is perfectly designed by your heavenly Father for your benefit. It has been said, ‘He will melt you in his furnace that he may stamp you with his image.’ The psalmist states, ‘Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word’ (Ps. 119:67).^[1]

The promise that comes with this principle is that God’s love brings maturity.  We are promised that we are being conformed to the image of Christ! (Rom. 8:29)

  May we all respond quickly and correctly to God’s discipline and correction.

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/user/churchoflittleton  FW # 60

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^[1] Jim Newheiser, Opening Up Proverbs (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 64-65.