The Inheritance of Chastening

 “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.” -Deuteronomy 8:5

“You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” -Amos 3:2.

Unfortunately there are many professing Christians today that reject the idea that God would chasten them, but the concept is well-founded in the scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New. Chastening means a type of punishment. Please see Hebrews 12:5-11 for instruction.

As I looked up the definition on Google, I found that to chasten means, “To inflict corrective punishment.” They also gave the Bible's definition as, “To visit with affliction for the purpose of moral improvement.”

But I hope we can see from the opening scriptures that for God to chasten us really means that we are His children, and it is a normal part of our relationship with Him. I think the resistance people have to the idea of chastening is the thought of God inflicting pain upon us, hurting us, even after we have become Born Again (John 3:3). Why would God do this?

While the Lord may need to punish us for seriously straying from Him, I think He mostly uses it to direct us, especially as we mature in Christ. So anything uncomfortable might be thought of as chastening, though it may not actually be for punishment. IT IS A GREAT WAY FOR GOD TO GET OUR ATTENTION!!!

Let's face it, we serve a God that we cannot see, and whose actual voice we do not hear. We are seeking His will for our lives, and so He may direct us by discomfort. We are much more prone to search deeply in prayer if things are not going well. Many times troubling events may simply be trials of faith, or the devil's opposition; but if things seem to unnaturally linger, we should consider that God is getting our attention FOR something, and we will need to “dig deeper” in prayer.

There was a period in my life I had seriously backslidden from the Lord, and God brought numerous events of chastening for the evil state I was in. He wanted me back. He didn't want to judge me eternally in Hell. For so many years now I have seen clearly the love that God shows us by chastening. Now that Christ has restored me, He continues to direct me by chastening at times.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” -Revelation 3:19.

Recently I had become sick, due to a commitment I had broken with God. It happened by the interruption of a guest, but I made no attempt to keep what I had pledged to the Lord. We must make every effort to keep our promises to the Lord! The affliction was mild, and for just one day.

God has also often used chastening to steer me from jobs. I do have problems with my left foot most mornings, some stiffness, but it quickly goes away-and it NEVER keeps me from walking! But there was one morning that I COULD NOT walk on it at all. I was literally hopping around the house on my right foot/leg, leaning on walls & furniture to get around. I knew that God was trying to tell me something!

After determining that I was to quit my job, I promised Him to put in my 2 week notice the next day. But I prayed something like, “Lord, I promise to turn in my notice tomorrow, but here is the problem-I really need my foot to get into work; if you heal me now, I can go to work, and it will prove that this is why my foot has been so bad.” IMMEDIATELY, as I sat there, I could actually feel tendons, ligaments, whatever is inside of the foot, moving back into place: I could walk normally again! Needless to say, I kept my word to God.

The Bible shows us what love God has toward us, because while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Now that we are His, never doubt His love & best intentions for you; but we must not reject His chastening, for then we are separating ourselves from the relationship with God that we need to have. Our Heavenly Father wants what is best for us, and His knowledge and understanding are without limits. Let us receive God's dealings with us joyfully, for eternity awaits!

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17,18

Here is a link to a video I did on YouTube on chastening https://youtu.be/XDP-Cq82sX8