WISDOM FROM GOD – “DESPISE NOT THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD”

Man does not like many things. Discipline, correction, rectification, restoration and settings things right are among the top most things, which we human beings do not like. We like everything the way we want them to be. There is definite stubbornness and resistance to change for good, on our part. We are more like the pigs, if I may use the expression, which enjoy rolling in the muck. It is a reflection of our fallen state, and the condition of our hearts.

The LORD God Almighty, on the other hand, being holy and perfect, cannot be comfortable with sin and sinfulness. He likes to set things right, and wants to redeem and sanctify fallen the human beings. This is reflection of who God is, and His heart for the fallen human beings.

Let us read from Proverbs 3:11-12, which speaks precisely about this. Solomon the wise, understood how God, our LORD and our Creator, works. Therefore, he writes…
– “11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” – Proverbs 3:11-12

For our meditation this morning, let us study Proverbs 3:11.
– “11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:” – Proverbs 3:11
I see, in the above verse, three very important and priceless gems for our consideration and learning.

1- “MY SON”
The reader is addressed as son. The reader is special and important to the writer. 
– The reader is not some unknown person, for the writer; but rather, is addressed as son, the closest possible human relationship. 
– It also tells us that, the Father is wanting to share some wise, precious and priceless words, out of his vast experience. It begs the son to pay serious and complete attention. The reason? In listening to the Father, the son is benefitted and blessed.
– “​​1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. 10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;” – Proverbs 2:1-12
– “​1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” – Proverbs 7:1-3

2- “DESPISE NOT THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD”
The words “DESPISE NOT” and “THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD” tells us volumes about human heart, and God’s heart. 
– The word DESPISE means an intense dislike for something, to the point of hating it with all our hearts.
– “THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD” is to be understood as the CORRECTION from the LORD for our good, which is for our benefit.
– We have to understand the “CHASTENING” from our LORD, in the context of “DESPISE NOT” – which clearly tells us that, we humans hate correction, even if it is God who wants to correct us. We want to be our own gods, and don’t wish to let anyone “mess” around in our lives. 
– On God’s part, He loves to, and longs to correct us. This correction is the crucial stage in our redemption process; because only through the correction from the LORD our Redeemer, our sanctification and restoration happens, and is possible.
– “5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” – Hebrews 12:5-6 
– “5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.” – Deuteronomy 8:5

3- “NEITHER BE WEARY OF HIS CORRECTION”
We humans not only detest chastening from the LORD, but also get WEARY of it. It means, we get TIRED of the correction, which even though, is to help us change for our good. It speaks about human heart, and its sick condition. Doesn’t it? 
– Human heart, says the LORD in Jeremiah 17:9-10, is desperately wicked. It is beyond any help. It cannot be rectified and revived by human efforts – absolutely not, and absolutely never. 
– “17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.” – Job 5:17-18
– “11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. 12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; 13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.” – Psalms 94:11-13

Now how about us, dear brothers and sisters? Do we “DESPISE THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD? Do we get “WEARY OF HIS CORRECTION?”Unless we love the chastening of the LORD, and not get weary of His correction, we cannot be sanctified and made holy, and be transformed into the likeness of our LORD. So let us consider the above words and yield ourselves and our hearts to the LORD, so that, He would sanctify us, and make us clean and holy. Even so, the LORD help us.