Hebrews 12:7 “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?”
“Chastening” affords us the opportunity to become stronger in our service to our Lord, to become more focused in our service to our Lord, to become more effective in our service to our Lord, and to more sincerely show our love to our Lord. Real love is that love, which is tested in fiery trials and tribulations, yet it remains strong. It is easy to say “I love you” in low stress and comfortable times, but real love shines its brightest in troubled times. Our natural response to “chastening” (difficult times) is to withdraw to a position of safety, security, and peace. To “endure chastening” is to not let it stop us, but to “press” on through the “chastening” “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Those who “endure chastening” are those who remain faithful to their Lord even as they are passing through the most severe fiery trials; when our hearts are broken, when loneliness sits upon us like a dark cloud, when fear freezes our minds, when despair drains away our energy, when there is confusion at every turn, and when our natural bodies begin to fail us. It is God-honoring to view “chastening” as an opportunity to excel in our Lord’s service.