When we go through suffering, let us not assume right away that God is disciplining or punishing us. Not all suffering is a result of God's discipline or punishment. I remember when I was growing up, every time a bad thing happened to me. I immediately thought that God was disciplining or punishing me because He was angry at me for something that I had done. However, as I understood the Word of God, I realized that my understanding of my suffering was not correct. I learned that when I thought that God was angry at me every time I suffered, I blamed myself for the difficulty that I was in. God's discipline is always caused by my disobedience against God. He disciplines me to correct me, and the reason He corrects me is because He loves me. Let us not think that when God disciplines us, He hates or holds a grudge against us. We have a loving and faithful Heavenly Father who always cares for us. He never disciplined us just to cause pain in our lives. When we feel guilty of the wrong doings that we have done, the Holy Spirit who lives in us is telling us to ask God for forgiveness and turn away from our sins. The moment we confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness, we need to believe in our hearts that God immediately forgives us. We do not need to punish ourselves because Jesus already died for our sins.
Psalm 38:17-18 says, "For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin." God only disciplines us when we sin against Him. But when He disciplines us, He doesn't hate us. The reason God is disciplining us is because He loves us. He uses discipline to correct and restore our ways. If we suffer, let us not immediately assume that God is disciplining us. We need to examine our ways to see if we are in disobedience against God. If we are not in disobedience, we are going through regular suffering. We need to remember that suffering is a part of our life in this world. We cannot escape it. But when we suffer, we need to remind ourselves that God is always with us, helping us to go through it. If we are in disobedience against God, the only way out of God's discipline is to confess our sins to Him and repent or turn away from our sins.
God never hates us as His children. He loves us faithfully. His discipline is proof that God loves us. Our suffering is not always a result of God's discipline, so let us not be fearful. Let us live in God's love and acceptance. Let us go on with our day today, knowing that God loves us.
Ask yourself these questions for application: (Think through carefully and meditate on the questions while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you). Does God's discipline cause all the bad things that happen to me? What should I do when God is disciplining me? Why does God discipline me?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you for disciplining me every time I sin because your discipline is proof that you love and care for me. Thank you for never hating me or holding a grudge against me. You immediately forgive me the moment I confess my sin to you, ask for forgiveness, and turn away from my sins. Please help me to live in your righteousness and love today. In your name, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.