Accepting God's Punishment

We often forget what a loving God that we have. He stands beside us and will never leave us or forsake us. That is one of his promises. How many times have we felt abandoned and betrayed only to find that in the end when we had felt forsaken the Lord was there.
King David must have felt abandoned when he fasted and prayed for the life of his child. Yet he was willing to accept the punishment for his sin. He prayed and fasted in hopes that the Lord might change his mind. But after his child died he arose and went about his way. He understood why the child died and accepted it. (II Samuel 12)
   When David had sinned in numbering the people he accepted that he was to be punished and when the prophet asked him what choice he would like for punishment, David was willing to fall on the mercies of the Lord. David was willing to accept the punishment. (II Samuel 24)
   Saul was rejected for disobedience to the Lord from being king of Israel. (I Samuel 15) This was his just punishment for not doing what the Lord had said. Saul tried to reason with Samuel saying that he had but God demands strict obedience not halfway. Saul had taken of the spoils to offer to the Lord when the Lord had commanded that it be all destroyed. Saul tried to bend the rules to suit him.
   Oftentimes we feel betrayed and alone and wonder why the Lord has forsaken us. Is there sin in our life? Could it be that we are being punished for disobedience? The Lord chastens us for disobedience and punishes us just as we punish our children. We don't love them any less but many of us have heard you don't love me after we have punished a child. When our children disobey we punish them yet we whine and complain that God has forsaken us when in reality we may be getting punishment for not obeying the Lord.
   Can you take the whippings that the Lord dishes out? Of course we can if we understand that he is doing it out of a loving heart and that he does it because he doesn't want us falling by the way into something that the enemy has set in our way.
   Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

Have a blessed day.