Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a fresh slant on a hard Bible verse.
And Proverbs chapter 20, verse 30 is pretty hard. It says, "Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being." Okay, maybe you’re like me, but the first time I read that verse, I cringed. It brought up contorted visions of the Spanish Inquisition and Salem Witch Trials – or at best, stern, tight-lipped schoolmarms walking the classroom aisles with a rod in hand. Proverbs may be a book filled with wisdom and godly instruction, but as far as I was concerned, this verse seemed better suited for the sixteenth century.
But my heart has warmed to Proverbs 20, verse 30. That's because I’ve experienced it firsthand. Oh, no, I didn’t have a cruel father or mother who beat me with a rod. No. My experience with this Bible verse has to do with my disability. Let me explain. I remember years ago when I was in my bed and dealing with severe back pain. It was no fun being bedridden, and it was pretty challenging to find a comfortable position. All that time being down, my soul took a beating. My pride took a blow because I had to miss deadlines and appointments and cancel important things; I felt humiliated when coworkers from the office had to pull up chairs by my bedside so we could get work done. My goodness, I even remember recording a couple of sessions of "Joni and Friends" radio programs from my bed. It was all I could do to keep from being depressed, and actually I was depressed back then. God was forcing me, though, to learn the deeper meaning of Psalm 119 verse 71where it says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees."
Yep, you can really take a beating from a significant disability. Chronic conditions, like being bedridden when you’re dealing with a long-term illness or, in my case, back pain, those things can really have a purging effect on your soul. God may land a knockout blow to your puffed-up pride. God may wound your heart through a deep disappointment. God may go to great lengths to beat hateful habits out of your character and squeeze selfishness out of your soul. Yes, your ego will get trampled. But that's not bad. I, for one, came out of that season of being in bed all the richer and happier for the wounding. It's what Proverbs 20 verse 30 is all about. It’s the good and godly purpose behind afflictions.
Friend, God is not a stern, tight-lipped celestial ogre who carries around a big club. He's not on a witch hunt, anxious to hurt you. Far from it! The God of the Bible is a kind Father who has compassion on His children. It says so in Psalm 103. But like all fathers – good fathers, He wants what’s best for His children: He wants to purge pride, selfishness and rebellion out of our hearts. It’s why He’s called the wise and wonderful God in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 10; the one who "disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness." Friend, that’s His goal. That’s the reason for the affliction He sends your way. It’s so you might share in His holiness. So please, if you’re feeling a little beat up by a long illness or an interminable hospital stay; if, like me, have ever experienced being bedridden, don’t become despondent or discouraged. The God who wounds is also the God who heals. And God is a good and wise Father who will also discipline you for your good. Join me today in saying what Job offered up in chapter 13, "Though he slay me, yet will I put my hope in him."
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