Whom the Lord Loves

“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord ​​​​or lose heart when reproved by him; ​for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; ​​​​he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Hebrews 12:5-6

We just celebrated a very special little boy’s 2nd birthday. His mama asked what he wanted to do for his birthday and he said he wanted donuts and sprinkles, and he wanted to bake a cake, and blow his candle. Ordinarily, he would not be given sugar to eat, but because it was his birthday, he baked a cake with the help of his papa, auntie and Lola. His little hands grabbed an egg and crushed it into the batter. He was also able to pour a liberal amount of sprinkles into the mix, and got to eat a whole bowl of confectioner’s sugar icing! He was so happy with all the sweets he was allowed to eat! 

We do not expect to be able to do anything we want every day of our lives. When we were children, we were disciplined if our parents wanted the very best for us, just as the Lord disciplines us. My son is already 27 years old, but when he was young, if he did something wrong, he would have a time out and had to stand in the corner. He used to sleep in between Luigi and me when he was still a toddler, and one time in his sleep, he kicked me, and I shouted out in pain. Luigi and I were surprised when he got out of bed and walked to the corner in the dark and stayed there. I appreciated what my son did, although I would not have told him to do so. 

We too should not disdain the discipline of the Lord as we know it is for our own good. We should welcome it. Sin brings consequences and we should not expect to get away with doing things against God’s will unless God has given up on us. God uses our earthly struggles to mold us. Of course God takes no pleasure in afflicting us, but He will do everything to guide us, His beloved children, back to Him. 

Hannah Whitall Smith, a speaker in the 1800s, said, “Look upon your chastening as God’s chariots sent to carry your soul into the high places of spiritual achievement.” Thank You Father, for loving us enough to correct us when we stray.