Thought 249
Ever tried to lessen
the pain of spankings?
Have you ever tried to lessen the pain of
spankings? I sure have! I remember one time I put on three pairs of sweatpants
so that my spanking wouldn’t hurt. Long story short, my sin found me out and I
still received that spanking—without the extra padding. In a similar manner, we
get spiritual spankings from time to time. Scripture calls these “spankings” discipline
or chastening and even declares that without them that we would be illegitimate
spiritual children.
“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: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth
every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure
chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the
father chasteneth not? But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected
us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto
the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit,
that we might be partakers of his holiness. 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 12:5-11 KJV
