At last, we have arrived to the third unexpected source of blessings and surely the most despised of the three, namely, blessings hidden in the act of correction. The way the divine rod has been looked upon has prompted God to speak words of encouragement, exhorting us to not look down on His loving intentions.
Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty” (Job 5:17).
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Prov. 3:11,12).
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Rev. 3:19).
These words, among many others, should fill our heart with gratefulness and reverence, for they single us out and put us among those who are blessed amid all people.
One blessing among many
One of the things the rod of correction provides is inner rest, this quietude capable of restoring the soul and enabling us to soar above earthly turbulence and evangelical charivari. Yes! Out of love God wants to lead us in His inner chamber, away from destructive elements such as anxieties, fearfulness, stress, and useless agitation.
The lovers of old, understanding the greatness of the blessing, could write: “ Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked” (Psalm 94:12,13 KJV). The person who is thus disciplined will surely enter the depth of God’s sanctuary. He shall dwell where the divine hushing quiesced the bedlam of worldly affairs. There he shall no longer be afraid of evil tidings; his heart shall be steadfast, trusting in the Lord (see Psalm 112:7).
Surely, this sort of rest cannot be found by the wayside; it is the result of steady discipline and training. When the Scripture tells us: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29), it entails a process of brokenness. I love the way the old King James translates Jeremiah 31:18,
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.”
Here Ephraim is inviting the divine rod, for he longs for that rest which has the power to set him free, for that mental and spiritual state which can preclude him from the demands of a tyrannical and foolish self.
Now, how many of us would like to experience this quietude? All of us I believe. Yet, generally speaking, we easily run away from the vessel that carries it and despise the paper in which the gift is wrapped. So we continue to pray, asking God to set us free from stress and distress, from tension and worries, from fears and restlessness, little aware that the answer knocks on our door time and again, just to be looked upon as an undesirable experience.
The Book of Proverbs
There is a short scripture in the Book of Proverbs that should generate profitable meditations. It confronts us with one of the many blessings hidden in the act of correction: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” (Prov. 12:1).
What is often overlooked is that the knowledge of the Holy cannot be acquired through mere academic efforts; it often comes as a direct result of God dealing with our lives, and in the measure in which we yield to Him in the practicalities of daily living. This scripture plainly declares that the person who claims to love knowledge while despising the divine rod is simply fooling himself. Actually the Scripture calls him stupid, for he rejects precisely the blessing he needs so badly.
The privilege of sons
I want to conclude with a passage found in the Book of Hebrews, perhaps the most revealing of all passages touching on divine chastisement.
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:5–11)
Here we are told God chastises us for our profit. He desires to see His children grow in the things that bring valuable gain.
Some months ago, I wrote two posts comparing what is interesting with what is profitable (here is the link), because to chase the interesting for the sake of mere interest might be counterproductive on long term. In the Book of Hebrews we are told the One who knows what is truly profitable trains us so we may obtain what He considers thoroughly valuable. This is as amazing as beautiful, and it should fill our heart with thankfulness.
Yes! The One who has created everything is concerned about our benefit, and this in such an extend, that He is actually involved in helping us to obtain the riches that will last forever. And as if this was too little, the author of Hebrews adds, “that we may be partakers of His holiness.” Brethren! What a blessing! What a gift! All this and more is hidden in the act of correction.
And at last, yet not the least, we are told that the divine rod yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. All in all, the acts of correction bring glory to our life. In spite of their appearance they are golden wells filled with innumerable blessings.
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