From Grief to Grace
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. ~Hebrews 12:11
Parents who desire to see their children turn out right understand the necessity of proper instruction and training. Part of this involves the chastening of a child. Chastening is discipline with the intent of correcting bad behavior. The goal is for the child to realize that bad behavior is not tolerated and unacceptable. In a similar fashion, God has to chasten or discipline His children (us) when we are out of the way and not living like we should be.
We see the purpose in chastening.
One of the ways God demonstrates His love for us is when He has to chasten us. Jonah was commanded by God to go to Nineveh and preach a message of repentance to the Assyrians. Jonah despised the Assyrians and refused to go. He bought a ticket to take a journey to Tarshish to get far away from the will of God. God chastened Jonah to get him to realize that he was out of the will of God. God sent a storm that resulted in Jonah being thrown overboard and a whale that swallowed him to wake up his senses. Jonah realized that God was trying to get his attention and eventually repented of his bad spirit and rebellion. The chastening of Jonah was to correct his bad attitude and get him back into the will of God.
We see the pain in chastening.
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous.” Chastening is not joyous. It makes us cry and weep. It causes great sorrow in our soul. It makes us think about what we did not do right. There are losses that we might incur. There may be sleepless nights. We might lose our appetite. Our backs might be against the wall. We feel uncertain. There could be humiliation. There could be setbacks. Whatever God does, He does so with the intent of getting us back on track.
We see the product in chastening.
It yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. The fruit of righteousness is fruit to the glory of God. Chastening is to the Christian life like pruning is to a fruit tree. The fruit is better and more abundant when there is pruning. The fruit of righteousness includes a life overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit, souls being saved, and other lives being impacted. It is described as "peaceable" because there is no more war going on between God and the child of God. The tool of chastening leads us from grief to grace.
We must remember that “whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.” If you are going through chastening, see this as God’s love being perfected in your life. Lift up the hands that hang down, and make straight paths for your feet. Don’t try to run from God, argue with God, or fight with God. Submit to His perfect will, and watch His wonderful plan for your life unfold. Give God the glory for taking you from grief and giving you great grace.
Have a strengthened God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Daniel 4-6