One of the most difficult parts of parenting is disciplining children. It’s no fun making rules, putting kids on restriction, taking away cell phones or other electronic devices. It’s just not fun but we must do these things because we want to correct behavior. We love our children and we don’t want them to grow up being irresponsible. We want them to grow up to be responsible citizens, so when they misbehave, we have to correct the behavior. They don’t like it. We don’t like it, but it’s necessary and sometimes when our children don’t understand. As children, we never really understood our parents’ corrections either. We would hold grudges against our parents when they took away our stuff or restricted us or wouldn’t let us go to inappropriate parties. In this passage we are reminded that we shouldn’t despise it when God corrects us. We shouldn’t be upset when he disciplines us. He does this because he loves us. This passage says “for whom the Lord Loves, He corrects.” God is compared to a father who loves his son and corrects his son. Even though it’s difficult to be corrected by The Lord, to be chastised by The Lord, we need to learn how to bear it and we need to see it for what it is: the correcting hand of a Loving God Who only wants what’s best for us, Who Loves us and is trying to get us to walk on the right path. Hallelujah!!!
And we pray:
Father even though sometimes I may not enjoy being chastised by You or being corrected by You, I do understand why You have to do it and I do know that You Love me. I ask You that You will help me to be able to see past my own selfishness and weakness to the lesson that You are trying to teach me and help me to be able to pass this to my own children. Help me to be able to correct them with love in such a way that they will also appreciate one day what I’ve tried to do for them. I need You Father LORD, Amen.