Blessed chastening
Without question, one would rather not endure some of life’s hard experiences. This world is filled with pain, and suffering is the norm rather than the exception. Sickness and death are all too common, and economic hardship is widespread. Yet the living God is able to use these negative things for the spiritual formation of His children. As believers go through the trials and difficulties of life, an all-wise, sovereign God is employing such sufferings to teach us His ways, preserve us from sin and waywardness, and ultimately conform us to Christ’s glorious image and likeness (see Rom. 8:28-39). The fires of affliction burn off the saints’ spiritual dross.
The psalmist recognized the benefits of the Father’s disciplining work in these words: “Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy Law” (Ps. 94:12). On the first reading, it is an odd beatitude that challenges one’s accustomed way of thinking. Blessed basically means “happy.” In contrast, chastening carries the idea of discipline, rebuke, admonishment, and instruction. Most people think of discipline in negative terms (at least if they are on the receiving end of it). How then can this verse link happiness and chastisement? The answer lies in knowing who the chastiser is, the manner of His discipline, and to what end He leads the recipient. Furthermore, discipline is not to be confused with penal judgment, which was dealt with by Christ on the cross (see Rom. 8:1).
Faithful are the wounds of a friend
Psalm 94:1-2 begins with a call for the “Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth” and the “judge of all the earth” to deal with the wicked who are persecuting His people. Each of these titles hearkens back to descriptions that the Lord used of Himself earlier in the Scriptures (Deut. 32:35; Gen. 18:25). Such a God cares about justice and will one day put down all evil.
In the meantime, however, He actually uses evil’s effects to accomplish His will. Just as surgeons use leeches in certain procedures, so the Lord takes things which in other contexts are harmful to work out His purposes. Joseph understood this principle, as is seen in his description of the wicked conduct of his brothers: “…you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20).
As a perfect Father, God desires what is best for His children. James 1:17 maintains that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” This teaching of God’s incomparable generosity follows another counterintuitive beatitude: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (v.12, NKJV). The blessing that He wants for His saints stems from His loving heart and transcends mere human notions of happiness.
One writer defined this higher “blessedness” as becoming “wise and prosperous in life, as a result of the instruction of God” (cf. Ps. 84:5, 12). Even testing and discipline—negative as they are in man’s mind—are used for positive ends by the Almighty. He is committed to molding His children into the image of His altogether lovely Son. He is even adept at using their difficult circumstances to cut off the flesh and transform them into holy vessels for His service. The classic hymn depicts His providential chastisement:
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
As the author once heard brother William MacDonald say, “Nothing that comes to the child of God ever gets to him without first passing through a filter of infinite love.” The Lord’s discipline establishes His paternal love and care for His children, while simultaneously guiding them to holiness of thought and life. Hebrews 12:9-10 expresses it like this: “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.”
The peaceable fruit of righteousness
God’s discipline serves different purposes in Scripture. At times, it is corrective of sin, such as in dealing with those who were defiling the Lord’s Supper at Corinth (1 Cor. 11:29-31) or with Ananias and Sapphira’s lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11). Chastisement is a vital component of the Lord’s sanctifying work. As a Father, He will neither permit His children to remain in patterns of behavior that mar His relationship with them, nor those that tarnish His glory in them. Repentance is not merely an activity for the lost to do when they receive Christ for salvation. In the New Testament, the Lord often calls upon His erring saints to repent and obey His will (Rev. 2:5). Self-examination must be followed by confession of one’s sin as well as the correction of one’s behavior (see 1 Jn. 1:5, 9).
At other times, divine discipline is preventative, such as when God gave Paul “a thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming proud over the great truths that were revealed to him (2 Cor. 12:7). Joseph did not exact revenge against his brothers when it was in his power to harm them. Neither did his tremendous power as the prime minister of the mightiest nation on earth incite the former slave and prisoner to gratify himself with the spoils of his exalted office. Instead, he wielded his authority humanely to deliver multitudes of people, including his estranged siblings. Learning to patiently trust God in slavery and prison taught Joseph moderation and dependence on his Maker.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Whether corrective or preventative, chastening is meant to focus the believer’s mind on his Lord. Afflictions turned Job’s eyes upon the Lord (Job 42:1-6). Likewise, when hard circumstances assail Christians, we must look to God for guidance. Let us ask: “Is there some sin that I have not dealt with before Him?” and then “How can I successfully navigate this trial for His glory?”
If one finds that his conscience is clear of offence before God, he should still look to the Lord for help in bearing the hardship. As Paul learned, the Almighty assures that: “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Chastening is meant to deepen our trust in, and dependence on, our loving Father. His easy yoke and light burden are designed for the saint to walk and labor alongside of his God, all the while enjoying rest with Him (see Mt. 11:29-30).