12:5,6
Now when an individual or a church does experience opposition, sometimes violent opposition, then it is certainly very difficult, and we may wonder why God is allowing this to happen. Has God forgotten us? Has He got something against us? Has He let us down? The writer reminds them that God is our father and quotes from Prov 12:5,6. God is disciplining His children, and He does so because He loves us. Discipline is different from punishment. Punishment’s purpose is to impose a penalty for someone’s actions. Discipline is more involved in training and developing a person. This may include removing traits within us which are sinful or harmful, and in developing characteristics which make us stronger. So the hardship is a sign of God’s love for us, and that He accepts us as sons.
12:7
So we are to endure hardship as discipline. When we go through tough times, for whatever reason, we should be seeking to understand how God is aiming to develop us. We are being treated as children by God. He is acting as our father. So we should rejoice in this. Peter, Paul and James all say the same thing when they encourage us to consider trials as pure joy, and that they develop perseverance.
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