Micah 2:7 Should it be said, O house of Jacob: “Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Does he do such things?” Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright?
You don’t meet many people who can say, “I like discipline; I like to be corrected.” Because correction hurts. Even if it comes in love and is true, it doesn’t feel that good. Think about it. When you discipline your kids, you completely understand the necessity of it. Do they feel good about it? No, they don’t. Most kids don’t enjoy discipline – neither do adults. You know when discipline isn’t scary, though? It’s when you didn’t do anything wrong. Yes, when you are upright, you don’t have to fear discipline and correction. You won’t get called into the principal’s office for something bad when you didn’t do anything bad. You might still get called in there, but it will probably be for another reason. Maybe it will be to build you up or encourage you. Maybe it will be to give some advice for success. The principal is only the bad guy when you are too.
This is essentially what God was saying to the people. Why do you think I am angry? Why are you so afraid of my discipline? Why are you terrified about what I am going to do to you? Well, it’s because they were being naughty little children. And naughty little children should expect some discipline. But to the upright, the words of the Lord do good. They aren’t scary even if they are discipline. Because there is a recognition that the Lord disciplines those He loves. So I can take His correction without fear because He loves me and I am upright. When I strive to live upright, His words of discipline challenge me and encourage me. As I see His heart, it changes me – not because I am afraid of Him, but because I see the gap between His heart and mine. I see the grand canyon between the way He loves and the way I love. And His words do me good. They challenge me and transform me. Yes, they do me good.
Abundant Life 