Earthly parents sometimes chasten their children according to their own pleasure, but the Lord chastens His children ONLY for their profiting. In addition, earthly parents will sometimes err by disciplining their children for convenience to end the child’s inconvenience brought upon the parent. The end goal turns out to be the satisfaction of the parent rather than the sole good of the child. However, in God’s dealings with His children, He chastens for the benefit of the one receiving the chastening. He uses His chastening to help make His children partakers of His holiness. When they have done wrong, He wants them to repent (Revelation 3:19). When they have gone astray, He wants them to find correction (Job 5:17). God, as a Father, always chooses to do what is best for His children. It is always exclusively for their profit!
The words chastening and punishment are like many Bible words that share an overlapping meaning but also exhibit certain variants. A Bible-believer always trusts that God carefully chose His words to accomplish His expressed purpose in any given passage. On the surface, it would seem like the words punish (Leviticus 26:24) and chastise (Leviticus 26:28) seem completely interchangeable, but a thorough study of the whole counsel of God reveals distinctions. One area in which there appears to be a distinction involves the intended purpose of execution. Punishment is the infliction of judgment for the sake of justice, while chastening is the application of judgment for the sake of correction.
We have already learned that our joy is to be found in the Lord and this joy is a special gift from above. With this truth foundational to our study, what are some things that we can do as believers that will bring us lasting joy? Far too many people think joy surfaces once the stresses of life cease or at least begin to diminish. Yet, the Bible teaches that joy can be found only in faithfully serving the Lord. Today's verse reveals that the disciples found joy through what God had done in and through them! Considering a few more scriptural examples of joy should help to solidify our mindset concerning this subject. The Bible records great joy as the people of God willingly sacrificed to the Lord (1 Chronicles 29:17). Proverbs 21:15 reveals that “It is joy to the just to do judgment.” The book of Luke tells us that there is joy in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7). From these and other examples, we know that true joy will be found when we willingly serve the Lord God, but never in the things of this world.
