And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; (6) For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” (7) If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? (11) 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. (12) Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, (13) and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews is unknown. The writer’s goal was to stop harassed and persecuted Christian Jews from drifting away from Jesus which will incur the judgment of God. Discipline trains us in righteous behavior. We will, in this world, experience suffering and injury. There will be mental and physical hindrance but we are to finish the course God has set before us. Some physiological problems may lead to depression, discouragement, anger and we must learn to deal with that. What happens to us may also be for us. Pain can be our friend forcing a change of perspective and teaching us to deal with hardship as discipline. Suffering here is not meant as vindictive; not accidental, capricious or random. Persecution does not mean God has abandoned us. It means we are being trained, raised by our good Father. God’s rebuke and correction is aimed purposefully even if painful. What some see as harm God means for good. The writer of Hebrews wants readers to expect hardship as necessary and unavoidable in this world. It means we are loved by God.

There is a difference between wrath and discipline. Punishment stems from God’s wrath against sin. Discipline stems from God’s love for His children. In wrath God is our judge; in discipline God acts in love as a Father. Under punishment the sinner pays for his sin; under discipline Christ has already paid for our sins. In adversity we are fearful, alarmed and disquieted; tempted by impatience and our minds are noisy and restless. But chastened, we acknowledge with resigned minds how profitable adversity was to us in retrospect. Fear will constrain us and we turn from God’s way. There is always a struggle but our main aim should be to rest in God. Losing heart is a great spiritual danger. Discipline/suffering is designed by God ro drive us to Christ that we might mature in our Christian lives.

For the Christian life finishing well means everything. C.s.Lewis wrote “I suggest to you that it is because God loves us that He gives us the gift of suffering. Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world. You see, we are like blocks of stone out of which the Sculptor carves the form of men. The blows of His chisel, which hurt us so much are what make us perfect.”