“Go sit on your bed until your father comes home!” Those were the most dreaded words my mother ever uttered to my eight year old ears. What miserable long hours (Well maybe minutes) those were. By the time I heard the car in the driveway the dread I had of what was to come had become a mountain before me. I knew everything that was to come. “You know this hurts me more than it hurts you” was always spoken just before the inevitable discipline was meted out..

Not long ago we visited Fort De Soto in Florida. At the fort are some of the largest artillery pieces I have ever seen. They were installed at the entrance of Tampa Bay during the Spanish American war.  Though they were never fired in battle their  presence at the harbor entry served as a warning and a preventive measure against an enemy attack.

 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  Hebrews 12:11

In the same way both our childhood discipline and the trials God allows us to pass through are not joyful events while we are passing through them. But God loves us and cares for us and He is teaching us some things that we can not learn any other way. We are learning timeless truths like:

We are not perfect

We will be held responsible for our actions

We have a father who disciplines us but he does not disown us.

This discipline is for our good!

So if like me you are going through a Winter of trials it helps to stop and realize that our chastening today will help to prevent the enemy’s attack tomorrow. It reminds us that we belong to Jesus. The worst (and the best) part of the punishment was getting a hug when it was over. So be patient, be open to correction and hold on for God’s hug!