Psalm 94:12-13 – LORD, happy is the man you discipline and teach from your law to give him relief from troubled times until a pit is dug from the wicked.

Father in heaven, I never liked to be disciplined as a child. I didn’t much like losing privileges, missing out on parties, or any other other painful punishments when I lived at home with my parents. It was never pleasant or fun, but it was good for me. I learned important lessons and powerful truths from them. Lord God, you discipline me perfectly and always in love. And though I don’t always relish the painful moments under discipline or rejoice in the suffering, you show me that these disciplinary moments are truly a gift and a blessing from you. Discipline is really your mercy in disguise. It reminds me that you do truly love me because you’re disciplining me as a son. If you didn’t care about me, you’d let me go through life footloose and carefree. But because you love me, you enter my life to discipline and teach me. Sometimes you even use the evil intentions of wicked people to do that. Lord God, I don’t rejoice in the pain that your discipline brings, but I do find joy in your love and in the instruction that you give me in it. Help me to always learn what you want me to learn from your loving discipline. Amen.