Questions to consider:
Why does God discipline people?
What does God’s love look like?
Can anything separate us from the love of God?
Our God is a loving and patient God. Sometimes it might not seem like it based on Old Testament scripture, but God uses His discipline and mercy to show us his love for us.
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Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. (Proverbs 13:24 ESV)
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For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:6-11 ESV)
As you can see in this Hebrews passage, God disciplines us for our own good, and I think he does this especially when he is preparing us for something in the future or when he wants us to return to him and turn away from our sins, such as idolatry. He does not remain angry with us forever, but desires us to turn to Him.
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The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
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He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever. (Psalm 103:8-9 NLT)
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“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
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After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him. (Hosea 6:1-2 ESV)
One example of his love is shown through his forgiveness of sins. Even when we mess up, God is there and rooting for us.
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He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
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The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:12-13 NLT)
He is slow to anger and happy when we turn back to him, as shown in the parable of the prodigal son.
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” (Luke 15:11-32)
God loves when we come back to Him, however this does not mean that we should sin on purpose just because we want his love. Like the son who stays with the father in the parable, the love of God is still with us when we stick by His side.
I think that we can also be examples of God’s love – His love is perfected in us. We should try to be shining examples of God’s love, to our enemies and our friends.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12 ESV)
Romans 8 provides a beautiful description of how God’s love sticks with us through discipline and persecution.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 34-39 ESV)
When it seems like God is against us, we would do well to remember that discipline is not necessarily a sign of God’s hate towards us, but instead, loving rebuke towards us.
I hope that these scriptures provide hope for at least some, and exemplify how good God really is.
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The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
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they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)
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