Hebrews 12:5 – My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him.

This section of Scripture is one of the strongest affirmations of the Father’s love toward every believer. The phrase “my son” carries with it a very strong commitment of love. For Father God to address us as sons puts us on an equal level with Christ. Because of Christ’s sacrifice of His life for our sins, we have access to the Father as sons of God. This includes believing women, much the same way as believing men become part of the bride of Christ.

The writer begins his thoughts early in verse 4 saying, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.” In short, he is saying that Jesus shed His blood to deal with the issue of sin. You have not lost your life battling sin. Then he reminds his readers of the Lord’s exhortation found in Proverbs 3:11: “My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof.” Do we understand that hardships are really opportunities for the Lord to develop us as mature sons of God? As one grows older, it becomes easier to identify how the Lord used difficulties to develop a Christ-centered maturity in our life. The difficult times were really instruction times from God used to train us.

Solomon reminds us, “If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited” (Proverbs 24:10). The word slack means “to give up.” Lack of strength means “not understanding God’s purpose in the times of trouble.”  Trouble can prepare us to  endure to the end. The Lord does not discipline our lives in order to cause us to give up, but rather for us to learn how to endure.  Because He loves us, He instructs us by the pressures and trials of life. Even when He finds it necessary to punish us, it is always with a view toward our benefit.

Beloved, God deals with believers as “sons.” Even in the natural realm we know that a good father will discipline his son. A believer is subject to the Father of spirits and through discipline, the believer grows to maturity. Discipline for the moment is never enjoyable; in fact, it can really feel uncomfortable and perhaps sorrowful. If we receive it for its intended purpose, it will produce “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11).

“Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble” (Hebrews 12:12). As we become strong in the Lord through His disciplines, we can turn our attention to others and be a conduit of His grace to help in their time of weakness.  Rejoice in correction, learn to appreciate rebuke, and learn in humility. His favor is on you when He applies divine discipline. Many times it comes through others. Don’t resist, but allow His Holy Spirit to sanctify you through the process.

Father, I thank You for Your great love revealed in Christ and continued through Your wonderful disciplines used to mature me in Christ my Lord.  Fill me with gratitude for Your favor upon me as a son of God through corrections and reproofs.