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Deuteronomy 8 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Remember that the LORD your God corrects and punishes you just as parents discipline their children. 6 So then, do as the LORD has commanded you: live according to his laws and obey him.
Deuteronomy 8:5-6 GNB
We find this same theme in the NT…
Have you forgotten the encouraging words which God speaks to you as his children? “My child, pay attention when the Lord corrects you, and do not be discouraged when he rebukes you. 6 Because the Lord corrects everyone he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts as a child.”
Hebrews 12:5-6 GNB
As a father myself, it is more important that my kids are full of discernment and perseverance than comfort and happiness. This doesn’t mean I don’t want them to be happy. It means that my desire for them is to become well-rounded and strong in the Lord. If I allow them to do whatever they want, I have not loved them. I’ve actually set them up to fail. Though disciplining a child is one of the most difficult aspects to parenting, it’s absolutely necessary.
Consider what a lack of discipline leads to. Entitlement. Whining. Disrespect. These are qualities the Israelites were known for in the chapters leading up to Deuteronomy.
When we are punished, it seems to us at the time something to make us sad, not glad. Later, however, those who have been disciplined by such punishment reap the peaceful reward of a righteous life.
Hebrews 12:11 GNB
It could be said that those who lack discipline also lack holiness and peace. They have not been taught perseverance so every hurdle in life leads to anxiety and worry. They have not understood responsibility so there is no pursuit of God. Rejecting discipline produces two other undesirable results. First, it does not strengthen us or produce resiliency. Second, we are forced to see our struggles as hurdles that we have to overcome in our own strength rather than snags that God will lead us through. It’s a terrible place to be.
I love that the Hebrews passage encourages the believer to pay attention. Often, when we are being disciplined we resist it and try and find a way out. This passage encourages us to look deeper into our struggles to find out how God is working within. When we seek Him in our struggles, we will see God move in a completely different way than ever before. We will find peace when it makes no sense. We will find purpose when we want to give up. We will find that He has never left our side and is continuing to draw us forward.
Where are you currently resisting the discipline of your loving Father?