As a father…

For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. – Proverbs 3:12 (AMP)

The love of our Heavenly Father is often compared to the love of a father. A good and loving father will provide everything that is needed for his children, including discipline and correction.

1. If the father delights in his child, then when he has to discipline such a child, he will not be filled with sadistic joy; rather his paternal heart would bleed. Likewise, when we are the delight of our Father in heaven, there will be times when the Sovereign Lord has to discipline us. During the chastisement, it may look or feel like the Lord takes pleasure in our suffering. But remember that His Fatherly heart feels our pain and suffering. The Man of Sorrows, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who suffered so much for us, understands our weaknesses. The Spirit of God intercedes for us with groans that cannot be explained. During your affliction, remember these.

2. God chooses the method of discipline, knowing that is the best way to go for you under the circumstances. We cannot and should not compare the way He disciplines us with the ways He corrects others. Even for us, our Redeemer may have used some other form of correction and now is disciplining us differently; because He knows what is best. We should not expect the Lord to discipline us in ways we think are the best.

For example, in the Gospels, we see Jesus Christ often rebuking Peter. But when Peter did the worst of his sin, when he denied not knowing the Lord three times, Luke records it beautifully:

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. (Luke 22:61, AMP)

3. When a father corrects the son in whom he delights, he will do it with tenderness. The correction may be severe and at times, harsh, but it will not be cruel. Likewise when the Lord our God disciplines us, remember that the LORD God is gracious, loving and compassionate; that He is dealing with us with tenderness.

4. God always corrects us for our good. The good of our life is the ultimate object of His corrections. At times, we may not understand why we need to undergo such afflictions, how is the Lord glorified in these sufferings. Let us not try to understand. Instead let us trust our Father, Who gave even His only Son for us.