“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
(Prov. 13:24
“As many as I love, I...chasten..”
(Rev. 3:19)
When a pastor, many years ago, I preached one Sunday Evening on the above text in Proverbs. I was told later by one of my deacon’s wife this story. When her family arrived home and settled in, their only daughter jumped on her father’s lap crying uncontrollably. She repeated over and over, “O daddy, please start chastening me that I might know you love me.”
It is difficult for carnality to envision love with a rod in hand; but this is the picture painted for us in Revelation by the great artist, the Holy Ghost of God! Samuel Rutherford said, “O what I owe to the file, to the hammer, to the furnace of my Lord Jesus.” And may I add, “O what I owe to God’s chastening rod in my life.” It has saved me from innumerable pitfalls.
An evangelist friend, with several children, had to take one of his boys in hand because of his unruly behaviour. After correcting him he explained that he did it because of his deep love for him, showing him the scripture. He said the little fella then went to where the switch was lying on the bed, looked down at it for a moment, then picked it up and kissed it.
Have you ever kissed the rod? O, precious rod of God, how I love thee!
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