Is God punishing you?
“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children— “My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.”” (Hebrews 12:5–6, NRSV)
Felicity Lancer was used to getting her way, and her father knew that it was all his fault. Felicity was his only child, and when her mother died young, John Lancer became even more attached to his daughter. So as the years went by, wealthy John indulged his little Felicity. She had everything she wanted, from toys, to clothes, ponies, and puppies -- but nothing pleased her for very long. What John didn't realize was that it wasn't a passing phase at all, and Felicity didn't outgrow it. It got worse.
By the time she was fifteen, Felicity was running with a wild crowd, drinking a lot, and dating grown-up men, and some of them were very unsavory characters. John thought that Felicity was wild because she had grown up without a mother. Therapy didn’t help, even after Felicity was court-ordered to do so. In desperation, John found an inpatient treatment facility to help Felicity with her alcoholism, anger, depression, and resentment. Felicity mocked his plan, then walked out of his house never to return.” (Manuela Cardiga, news.amomama.com)
John Lancer doted on his precious daughter. He didn’t like to punish her, correct her, or give her many responsibilities. Because of his wife’s death, he went overboard in giving Felicity anything she wanted. This proved to be her undoing. She grew up spoiled. Later in her life, she ended up cruel, irresponsible, and full of lies.
When a person grows up without correction, punishment, responsibilities, and required learning, that person often turns out spoiled rotten, selfish, and cruel. In the same manner, if a person grows up without love and respect and care, that person often will have a difficult time dealing with the loss of this support. Parenting involves walking a fine line between love and correction, care and punishment, teaching and respect. As a Heavenly Father, God has taught us that love is necessary; but so is discipline and learning and correction and punishment. All are part of becoming gracious and wise and holy.
Many people are under the false impression that God should be only good and loving and giving and supportive. They see God as a giver of life and blessing and hope. What they do not realize is that all these gifts from God require something in return from the true believer. They require commitment and dedication, responsibility, faithfulness, holiness, and obedience. I find in particularly odd that even among Christians there is a notion that God won’t punish someone for wrongdoing but only be forgiving. These folks often see God’s forgiving side but forget that God requires obedience and holiness and commitment and repentance in response. If you want to really know the love of God, you need to learn the discipline of God as well.
Charles Spurgeon explained God’s discipline using several object lessons. He noted that “When a dealer in precious gems finds a stone of minimum value, little time is spent cutting it. But when a rare diamond is found, that stone will be cut, and cut, and cut again.” (p. 316, Beside Still Waters) The precious diamond gets added care, but also must be molded and changed. It must receive cuts and alterations. In the end, these make the diamond not only special but precious, as well as rare.
In like manner, Spurgeon explained further that “If a gardener gets an inferior tree, he lets it grow wild and takes whatever fruit it produces. But if the tree is exceptional, he will want every branch in its proper place, and he will cut here and cut there because this produces more fruit. The gardener leaves nothing on the tree that would be detrimental.” (Ibid.) The living tree receives many cuts and suffers in the process. However, it produces abundantly the more it is altered by the skilled hand of the gardener.
Taken together, these object lessons or parables written by Spurgeon display clearly that in order to become precious, some things in life must be cultivated and cut and put under extra scrutiny and altered. The wild tree will grow some fruit, but the carefully curated tree will often give more fruit or fruit of much greater quality. This works with faith as well. God will take extra time and give extra scrutiny to the most promising people. God will cultivate things in their life, cut out some things that might spoil them, and correct their flaws. God will point out their sin and expect repentance. At times, they will reel from God’s punishment and suffer from God’s correction. Through it all, they will become more and more precious; able to produce more and more blessings.
Hebrews 12:5-6, our meditation for today, reaffirms this reality. By quoting Proverbs 3, the author of Hebrews explains that a true child of God will receive “the discipline of the Lord” (Hebrews 12:5). This scripture encourages those who are growing closer to God to not “lose heart” when punished by God. Why? Plainly, “the Lord disciplines those He loves, and chastises EVERY child whom He accepts” (Hebrews 12:6). Just as NO true person of faith will ever go through life without the love of God surrounding him or her, NO true person of faith can escape God’s discipline. EVERY child of God will receive discipline of one type or another from God. This discipline may hurt at the time, but it will produce many benefits in the heart and mind and soul and life of the obedient.
Have you ever noted how many privileged people end up with lives corrupted by sin? Too many end up feeling lost and alone. Many self-destruct through addictions and psychological afflictions. Without submitting to the discipline of God, wanting to have their own way, they falter and fail; often becoming worldly and cruel and selfish and corrupt.
God punishes sin, while demanding obedience and faithfulness from the spiritual. When they respond well to God’s commands and laws, they receive God’s love in kind. They experience forgiveness and blessings and peace. Don’t expect the forgiveness and blessing and peace of God without also expecting the discipline and correction of the Lord.
Since God disciplines and corrects those whom He loves, giving extra scrutiny to the most precious of souls, be ready for those times in your life when you will receive punishment by the hand of your loving God. When you are falling into sinful ways, God may come down hard on you. When pride and selfishness begin to take root, God will bring swift correction to these sins. Learn your lessons well. Be obedient to the Almighty. Don’t you realize how precious you are to God to go through HIS discipline as well as receive HIS love?
Spoiled children always think their punishment is either undeserved or unfair. Disobedient children always disrespect their parents while running far away from discipline. Sinful souls always have a way of rejecting correction and fighting responsibility to God.
How well do you learn from the discipline of the Lord? How much do you trust the hand and will of God the Father? Is there some kind of discipline God has been using on your lately? What error in you is God seeking to correct?
Felicity Lancer was used to getting her way, and her father knew that it was all his fault. Felicity was his only child, and when her mother died young, John Lancer became even more attached to his daughter. So as the years went by, wealthy John indulged his little Felicity. She had everything she wanted, from toys, to clothes, ponies, and puppies -- but nothing pleased her for very long. What John didn't realize was that it wasn't a passing phase at all, and Felicity didn't outgrow it. It got worse.
By the time she was fifteen, Felicity was running with a wild crowd, drinking a lot, and dating grown-up men, and some of them were very unsavory characters. John thought that Felicity was wild because she had grown up without a mother. Therapy didn’t help, even after Felicity was court-ordered to do so. In desperation, John found an inpatient treatment facility to help Felicity with her alcoholism, anger, depression, and resentment. Felicity mocked his plan, then walked out of his house never to return.” (Manuela Cardiga, news.amomama.com)
John Lancer doted on his precious daughter. He didn’t like to punish her, correct her, or give her many responsibilities. Because of his wife’s death, he went overboard in giving Felicity anything she wanted. This proved to be her undoing. She grew up spoiled. Later in her life, she ended up cruel, irresponsible, and full of lies.
When a person grows up without correction, punishment, responsibilities, and required learning, that person often turns out spoiled rotten, selfish, and cruel. In the same manner, if a person grows up without love and respect and care, that person often will have a difficult time dealing with the loss of this support. Parenting involves walking a fine line between love and correction, care and punishment, teaching and respect. As a Heavenly Father, God has taught us that love is necessary; but so is discipline and learning and correction and punishment. All are part of becoming gracious and wise and holy.
Many people are under the false impression that God should be only good and loving and giving and supportive. They see God as a giver of life and blessing and hope. What they do not realize is that all these gifts from God require something in return from the true believer. They require commitment and dedication, responsibility, faithfulness, holiness, and obedience. I find in particularly odd that even among Christians there is a notion that God won’t punish someone for wrongdoing but only be forgiving. These folks often see God’s forgiving side but forget that God requires obedience and holiness and commitment and repentance in response. If you want to really know the love of God, you need to learn the discipline of God as well.
Charles Spurgeon explained God’s discipline using several object lessons. He noted that “When a dealer in precious gems finds a stone of minimum value, little time is spent cutting it. But when a rare diamond is found, that stone will be cut, and cut, and cut again.” (p. 316, Beside Still Waters) The precious diamond gets added care, but also must be molded and changed. It must receive cuts and alterations. In the end, these make the diamond not only special but precious, as well as rare.
In like manner, Spurgeon explained further that “If a gardener gets an inferior tree, he lets it grow wild and takes whatever fruit it produces. But if the tree is exceptional, he will want every branch in its proper place, and he will cut here and cut there because this produces more fruit. The gardener leaves nothing on the tree that would be detrimental.” (Ibid.) The living tree receives many cuts and suffers in the process. However, it produces abundantly the more it is altered by the skilled hand of the gardener.
Taken together, these object lessons or parables written by Spurgeon display clearly that in order to become precious, some things in life must be cultivated and cut and put under extra scrutiny and altered. The wild tree will grow some fruit, but the carefully curated tree will often give more fruit or fruit of much greater quality. This works with faith as well. God will take extra time and give extra scrutiny to the most promising people. God will cultivate things in their life, cut out some things that might spoil them, and correct their flaws. God will point out their sin and expect repentance. At times, they will reel from God’s punishment and suffer from God’s correction. Through it all, they will become more and more precious; able to produce more and more blessings.
Hebrews 12:5-6, our meditation for today, reaffirms this reality. By quoting Proverbs 3, the author of Hebrews explains that a true child of God will receive “the discipline of the Lord” (Hebrews 12:5). This scripture encourages those who are growing closer to God to not “lose heart” when punished by God. Why? Plainly, “the Lord disciplines those He loves, and chastises EVERY child whom He accepts” (Hebrews 12:6). Just as NO true person of faith will ever go through life without the love of God surrounding him or her, NO true person of faith can escape God’s discipline. EVERY child of God will receive discipline of one type or another from God. This discipline may hurt at the time, but it will produce many benefits in the heart and mind and soul and life of the obedient.
Have you ever noted how many privileged people end up with lives corrupted by sin? Too many end up feeling lost and alone. Many self-destruct through addictions and psychological afflictions. Without submitting to the discipline of God, wanting to have their own way, they falter and fail; often becoming worldly and cruel and selfish and corrupt.
God punishes sin, while demanding obedience and faithfulness from the spiritual. When they respond well to God’s commands and laws, they receive God’s love in kind. They experience forgiveness and blessings and peace. Don’t expect the forgiveness and blessing and peace of God without also expecting the discipline and correction of the Lord.
Since God disciplines and corrects those whom He loves, giving extra scrutiny to the most precious of souls, be ready for those times in your life when you will receive punishment by the hand of your loving God. When you are falling into sinful ways, God may come down hard on you. When pride and selfishness begin to take root, God will bring swift correction to these sins. Learn your lessons well. Be obedient to the Almighty. Don’t you realize how precious you are to God to go through HIS discipline as well as receive HIS love?
Spoiled children always think their punishment is either undeserved or unfair. Disobedient children always disrespect their parents while running far away from discipline. Sinful souls always have a way of rejecting correction and fighting responsibility to God.
How well do you learn from the discipline of the Lord? How much do you trust the hand and will of God the Father? Is there some kind of discipline God has been using on your lately? What error in you is God seeking to correct?