God will rather fetch blood than lose one of His sons! See and admire the wisdom, power and goodness of God who can make His people better by their sufferings!
Behold, I show you a gospel mystery! God can extract gold, out of clay; draw the richest wine, out of gall and wormwood; turn the greatest evil of the body, into the greatest good of the soul; turn the chastening itself, into a blessing;
make the withered rod of affliction, to bud into a harvest of righteousness and peace!
The almond tree is said to be made fruitful by driving nails into it, thereby letting out a noxious gum which hinders its fruitfulness. In the same way, God never intends more good to his children, than when He seems to deal most severely with them! His discipline is sharp but the end is sweet!
O that the children of God in affliction, or entering upon sufferings, would sit down and dwell upon the fruit and advantage which God knows how to bring out of all their sorrows.
[Thomas Case]
Job 5:17 … Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
Hebrews 12:11 … Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Hebrews 12:6 … For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.❤
