Proverbs 3:11-12 - The Discipline of the Lord

Proverbs 3:11-12

¹¹ My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof,
¹² For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

Message: The Discipline of the Lord

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

It is good to be corrected. This needs to be like a mantra in my life because correction is not seen as a good thing often in life. In school, students get graded and in a way, that is showing us where correction is needed, but sometimes the correction isn't requested. There is a difference between learning a subject and getting corrected on what you have learned and living your life and being corrected on your own decisions.

I also notice that in life we tend to only allow correction if the reason for the correction is clear and explained to us. But, do we really need to always have a clear reason? If God correct me, then I can trust that He knows why I need to be corrected. It is often through correction that enables me to have knowledge. It is funny because I think my children, at times, instinctively believe that they know what they are to do based upon experience; that learning and growth comes through repetitive behavior. But, it is through correction that they improve. I wonder if they see this. Why does a child kick or have a temper tantrum? Because the child doesn't want to be corrected and wants to have their own way.

I have a friend that recently experienced cancer. It was a surprise and it was intense. He began to describe that cancer as God disciplining him. It wasn't that he necessarily thought there was something specific in his life that he had done wrong, but he viewed the cancer as discipline from the Lord. One of my children is experiencing something in his life that has caused me to wake up and re-evaluate how I father. I am being disciplined by the Lord. The trials that I experience in life are often there to awaken me, thus discipline me, for what I should be doing differently; not always, but sometimes. I think this is one of the reasons James tells us to "consider it joy when you encounter various trials."

There is a significant phrase in this passage. Verse 12 states, "in whom he delights." The father corrects his son for a reason and that is because his son is his delight. He wants the best for his son and so he sees often things that need to be corrected. And often the son will not understand, but the correction still needs to take place.

Promise: Do not be surprised by discipline or correction. Pray that you would learn what needs corrected. God loves me and corrects me as see fit in order to make me mature in Christ.