Light for the Journey
“CORRECTION”
Proverbs 3:11, 12 emphasizes God’s correction as an extension of love as a father would his own son.
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. (NKJV)
Correction is not isolated to instructive rebuke; it may also include punishment. Discipline, even chastening, should not be interpreted as a sign of rejection but of love and favor. The thought in Proverbs 3:11 echoes Job 5:17. Rather than loathing God's discipline, we should recognize it as a means of drawing us closer to Him.
The answer to Proverbs 3:11 is found in Proverbs 3:12. The New Testament applies this passage to suffering Christians who strive to walk by faith in a world of trouble in Hebrews 12:5, 6. This fits the context of Proverbs 3:11 and 12 perfectly. Just as we are not to forget God in prosperity—when our barns are filled with plenty (Prov. 3:9, 10)—we are not to become alienated from Him in hard times.
Do we welcome divine correction? The Scriptures teach:
"For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life." (Proverbs 6:23)
