Pam Padgett ... teacher
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh
unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of
the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord
loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye
endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is
he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we
gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the
Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened
us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be
partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth
to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
When God has called us to be His children and given us the Holy Spirit,
He also corrects us, turning us from ways of sin, and conforming us to
His image that we might partake of His holiness. When God corrects us
it shows that He cares for us and that we belong to Him. When we are corrected our flesh wants to justify itself or to hide. But
as we humble ourselves and submit to the chastening of God, He works in
our lives and the result is the fruit of righteousness coming forth.
In Psalm 23 the psalmist spoke of God caring for him as a shepherd cares for his
sheep, leading in the ways of righteousness, correcting and keeping His sheep from straying with His rod and staff. God's rod and staff
comforted him ... assuring him God was watching over him, correcting him, protecting him, and keeping him
in the right way ...
Psalm 23:1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh
me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.