Proverbs 3:11-12

"My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."
Proverbs 3:11-12


I think this is a good thing to remember today.  The Lord is an amazing father... and an amazing educator.  Instead of just telling us what not to do, he helps us know what to do instead.  The thing is, he knows that we are going to test him (as any child will do) to see if he will remain firm, and to see if he will be consistent with us.  And, he always is.  He tells us the consequences of our actions, even when we don't particularly want to know... and when we do it anyway, he is there to pick up the pieces and turn it into a lesson.  Sometimes the lessons are hard for us to learn, and sometimes the rules hold us back from our personal desires... but God, after all, knows a lot better than we do what is good for us, and what will help us to be happy in the long-term.  The time when we need to start really worrying is when God *stops* correcting us... because he only does that if we, in effect, disown him.  That is the time when we need to get down on our knees and invite him back into our lives.  Correction is a good thing, because it means that God is there... and that he cares about what we do every day... he cares whether we are happy or not, and he cares about whether we come back and live with him again.  Let's listen to his correction carefully, and humble ourselves enough to do as he asks.  Eventually, even the most rebellious children have to grow up and stop challenging authority... at least the authority of God. :)