September 17, 2019

GOD CHASTENS US

Deuteronomy 8:2-5

Now you shall remember the whole way the Lord your God led you in the desert, to deal harshly with you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He dealt harshly with you and weakened you with hunger, and fed you with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word proceeding from the mouth of God man shall live. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your feet become callused these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.

Personal Challenge

Why does God chasten those He loves? If you have ever been a parent, you will have a better understanding of this question. As parents, we love our children. We love them more than life itself. And when it becomes necessary to teach them valuable life lessons, it sometimes takes hard lessons. Lessons that often require chastening and discipline. I never did understand it as a child when my parents would tell me that this discipline hurt them more than it hurt me until I had to discipline one of my own children. When we love someone so much that we allow them to learn a hard lesson the hard way, it hurts. We do chasten, or discipline, those whom we love. And if we choose not to make these tough choices we end up harming our children more than the discipline itself. If we do this as human parents, then it is understandable that God does it to those whom He loves as well. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!