Day 254, Year 1

Do Not Loathe God’s Reproof

“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:11-12 NASB)

Those whom the Lord loves He disciplines (Hebrews 12:6 NASB). It seems certain that believers will experience the Lord’s reproof, discipline, and chastisement due to our sinful nature. Today’s verse encourages us not to reject or loathe these disciplines and reproof. God’s reproof may perhaps be annoying to some people. It is not a matter of how much or how long His reproof is, but that it often reaches the limits of our biggest patience.

The focus of today’s verse is: Do not loathe God’s reproof. When people see themselves as strong, their sinfulness and failure will soon or later prompt them to recognize their weaknesses. Similarly, a strong faith can fade into a small faith or even unbelief over time. Hence, should we not prepare ourselves to eradicate any weakness and unbelief when we think that we are strong? Likewise, those who consider themselves honest should address all their hidden hypocrisy. Thus, it is necessary to explain this issue that many believers need to address before meditating on Matthew chapter 23 and the related scriptures. Without proactive preparation, we will surely be defeated by the temptations of sin and be put under control by the devil in the coming days. Let us all prepare ourselves well and embark on the path of learning from God’s reproof.

Those who grow up in hypocritical social cultures or families tend to believe in the Lord with a hypocritical attitude. Indeed, it is far easier to feign goodness than to seriously deal with the evil in life and become good. Moreover, believers mostly attend church only three times or twice a week; so, pretending to be good is not difficult. Taking a step back, even if we sincerely believe in the Lord, we will inevitably face the temptation of hypocrisy after some time. It is because religious communities, unfortunately, can be a breeding ground for hypocrisy, for they can mask a lot of problems. Yet, addressing hypocrisy that might arise in our lives can actually foster spiritual growth.

Additionally, for some people who feel that there is absolutely no hypocrisy in them, I would suggest they understand Jesus’ reproof toward the hypocrites and learn the related truth from Him. This allows them to understand how the corruption of sinful nature spreads from the mentality to communities and is even influenced by the spiritual realm. So, we all need Jesus’ solutions to these problems, which can lead us to the abundance of spiritual blessings.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think that you can stretch the limits of your biggest patience and prepare for God’s coming discipline, reproof, and chastisement?

2) Will proactive preparation for the future be a key practice for your future brilliant spiritual growth in faith? Why?