The Value of Correction
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:12
“For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
The Value of Correction
Father God, we thank you for the priviledge of restoration. We thank you for the blessings of your glory upon our lives. Reveal to us the value of your correction in the name of Jesus.
Remember when you were a child, your parents, family, and friends corrected you. You might not have liked it, but you received it. As a teenager, you decided you knew all about life and no longer needed constructive correction. By the time you graduated, started working, bought your own home, and became your own person, you resolved that even if you were deeply in error, there was still no room for correction.
Beloved, no matter how old you are or how high the Lord takes you, you are never beyond correction.
Correction is for the favoured child. It is not a sign of contempt but rather, a sign of favour, because those whom one favours, one corrects. Correction is for those who would like to reach their maximum potential, living life to the fullest and fulfilling their ministry. Those who are going to be great must value correction. It is important to be accountable to someone.
Beloved, even the great men of God in the Bible asked God to correct them:
“O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.” Jeremiah 10:23–24.
“For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living ?,” Psalm 56:13.
These men were humble enough to ask God to correct them.
Jeremiah knew that God would correct him with judgment, not anger, when he approached God with a repentant and humble heart. Asking for God’s correction is seen as a mark of humility and readiness to improve; the purpose of correction is improvement. In school or in the workplace when you make necessary corrections you are recognized as a conscientious student or employee, one who is determined to excel. The same thing happens in our Christian lives. God corrects His children to take them to another level and give them new direction. God, in His mercy, corrects.
David asked God to deliver his feet from falling. God does this by correcting you so you may walk in the light of holiness before Him. This is why David said in Psalm 23, “Thy rod and thy staff comfort me.” He finds correction comforting, because not only does it signify God’s care, but it also indicates that he is walking closer with God. God’s correction affirms that He is on your side.
Prayer Points:
Holy Father, give us the humility to value correction; correction from the Scriptures and from our fellow believers, no matter how young they may be. If they come to us, may we recognize your voice in their voice and seek correction that we may improve. Gracious God, reveal to us the areas where we have gone astray and put us back on the right path. In your love, correct us with your good judgment so that we may go from glory to glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.
