Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. Psalm 89:32-33
Being punished is something that most people do not like. It is often painful and hard to take. The world often thinks that if one is punishing someone, he is not really loving that person.
No one wants to be held accountable for doing something wrong. It makes the person look and feel bad and no one wants that. Often punishment is done in anger and frustration. It is not done out of love.
The world has often attempted to lower the punishments to make it not feel so bad or painful. Many times punishment is completely ignored.
The writer of this psalm brings out God’s word that says God will punish sin. However, in the process of punishing the sin, He will not stop loving the person. God will continue to be faithful and loving, even while punishing.
Unlike the world, God punishes sin with the mind to correct the person, not to crush or destroy the person. His goal is to build a person back up, to get the person back on the right track.
This is done because He loves the person. The world punishes out of anger and revenge, God punishes to restore and correct, something that can only be done with love in mind.
When a person is being punished or corrected by God, there are some who think that God no longer loves him. Yet, that is not true. God’s love never ceases. God is love and can never not love a person.
Being punished is only for a short season. The believer must learn from it and move forward with God, never returning to the wrong or sin that was done.
There will be times when you will make a wrong choice in life and God may punish you some. Instead of losing heart, take joy that God loves you enough to strike you lightly. This is better than ignoring you and allowing you to stay on the path to hell for eternity.
God’s love for you will never fail. It is perfect and eternal, no matter what you have done wrong against Him. Turn back towards God and allow Him to rebuild you into the person He has meant for you to be.
I pray today that you will know God’s great love for you; that God will strengthen you to turn from all sin; that you will know the forgiveness God has for you; and that you will not fear God’s punishment, but trust Him.
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Thank you, for explaining God’s punishment. How it is not meant to harm us; rather, correct us. And is done in love.
You are welcome. Thank you for the encouraging words.