Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: I. WHAT IS IT TO DESPISE THE CHASTENINGS? 1. To receive them without any emotion. Trials should be felt; the heart should smart under the rod. 2. To fail to look into the cause of them. When afflictions come men seldom seriously set themselves to see why God contendeth with them. 3. To fail to be altered and improved by them. If a child is not better for his parent's discipline, we say that correction has been thrown away upon him. II. WHAT IS IT TO BE "WEARY OF HIS CORRECTION"? 1. It is the fault of those who make too much of their afflictions. Some are "swallowed up of overmuch sorrow." It overwhelms, stupefies, consumes them. They brood over every circumstance of the stroke which has befallen them, and see it in the most aggravated light. Their imaginations even add to the reality. The believer, when he meets with sorrow, should consider the bright as well as the dark side of the Lord's dealings with him. It is the sore temptation by which sufferers are sometimes exercised to be led to doubt, because of their suffering, that they are objects of the Lord's interest. 2. It is the fault of those who rebel against the correction, who fret and murmur at the stroke. We weary of correction — 3. When we cannot wait the Lord's time for the removal of our trials. We almost long to take the times out of His hands, and arrange things for ourselves. As trial never comes a day too early, so it never stays a day too long. We have afflictions to sustain, trials to endure; but we have a God of all comfort to make those trials easy. (A. Roberts, M.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:WEB: My son, don't despise Yahweh's discipline, neither be weary of his reproof: |
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