Prov.3:11, 12 - My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loves he corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights.
A.W. Tozer once wrote, ‘The bias of nature is toward the wilderness, never toward the fruitful field’. Our verse today is encouraging us to have a certain attitude when it comes to instruction and correction. Just as the fruitful field does not become that way naturally, so we, too, need regular and methodical outside help on our journey toward maturity and productivity. And, by the way, it is good to realize that that journey is a life-long one. Hopefully, we are always on the path of growth.
To despise something has the inference that it is deeply hated and loathed, and that would be true, but the word actually carries more of the idea of treating something lightly and without importance. If we treat something flippantly we do not place any value on it. ‘Do not treat lightly the chastening of the Lord’. If He is chastening us then, obviously, we must need it and a wise person is going to pay heed to it. Chastening is an old English word that we do not use much today but it is full of meaning for us. It has to do with the raising of children; their instruction, discipline, education, and the training of their overall outlook and attitude. Some have regarded sickness and different tragedies as the chastening of the Lord but as a loving Father, He would never chasten us that way. Chastening is patient instruction and calm correction for our good. Our Father may deal with us very firmly, but He is always loving and He has only His child keenly in mind. No good parent would harm their child to teach them a lesson; we have laws against that.
Overcoming weariness will be necessary if we are to achieve or accomplish anything in life. The athlete that pushes himself to the limit and doesn’t quit is the one who crosses the finish line. The student who stays up late at night and says no to many other good activities is the one who will get the high marks. The businessman who works hard and perseveres when it looks like all is going to fail will be the one who reaps the reward. ‘Do not be weary’. If we get tired of God’s correction we basically reject it and quite often we reject it because of who the correction comes through. It takes a heart of humility to continue to receive and welcome correction.
Correction is normal to life. When we drive our vehicles we do not keep the wheel in a fixed position; we make constant adjustments. When a pilot flies an airplane, he makes constant and usually quite small corrections; only this will ensure that the passengers get to their destination safely. Correction is an opportunity to make changes and improve what we are doing. The problem with our society today is our children have not been properly corrected and because they were not raised that way they do not know how to receive correction from their boss or anyone else. Many times we interpret correction as meaning rejection, and this is not the case.
The only reason that God corrects us is that He wants us to benefit. He loves us and wants the best for us but, we will not be able to receive His best if we do not go through the proper processes of correction. As a parent you want your child to have everything that you have and more, but they have to be ready to receive it and be a good steward of it. They have to be able to sustain what they have been given. I read in one of Andrew Murray’s books that we may be preparing an inheritance for the child but are we preparing the child for the inheritance? Our heavenly Father is perfect and He has a perfect love and motivation towards us. We as natural parents may have other motivations. Maybe we do not want to be embarrassed, so we correct our children. Maybe we want others to think we are the ultimate parents, so we correct our children. There may be any number of wrong motives for correction. Correction is good but the why of correction and the way of correction also have to be right.
One of the primary ways that God will bring instruction and correction into our lives is through His Word. A consistent reading of the Bible gives God access into our hearts and minds to bring us His wisdom. Read the Word, that is, receive it. Feed on the Word, that is, reflect on it. Heed the Word, that is, respond to it. As we do these things over a process of time we will grow in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. We will make new and better choices. We will listen more closely to those whom God has put in our lives. We will foresee things that may be coming and make proper preparation for them.
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