He will not constantly criticize, nor will He hold a grudge forever. Thankfully, god does not punish us for our sins and depravity as we deserve. In His mercy, He tempers justice with peace.
Observation
Children are usually scared of discipline. They will lie, manipulate, and do anything to get out of it. They see nothing good from discipline, only pain. You can tell them that :this is for their good" and that "this hurts you more than it hurts them" but they don't believe it for one minute. As a children of God we tend to react the same way to God's discipline, we will do anything to avoid it. We lie to ourselves and tell ourselves that our sins are benign, at least more benign then someone else's. Or we find escapes in the world and avoid our time with God in the illusion that He won't search our soul if we don't spend time with Him.
Yet, God, in His mercy and justice disciplines us anyway. Hebrews 12:11 has been an anchor verse for me for the last year and a half. It say's all discipline for the moment may not be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. God includes an incredible promise with His discipline that no one else can provide, it is peace. Ah blessed peace. There is a peace that you receive when the Father has refined you and made you right. When He disciplines it is to make you more like Christ, and when you become more like Christ you reap the rewards of being like Him; one of which is peace. Can you imagine not being tossed about by worries and fear? Can you imagine resisting temptation confidently? There is only one way to peace and it is found in the discipline of the Father.
Application
Because I am both a parent and a child I can see this verse from two perspectives, therefore I have two responses. As a child of God I should not be afraid of discipline but embrace it, more than that, I need to seek it. I can put myself in God's body shop. He taught me that a year and half ago and it has blessed my walk with Him tremendously. I need to continually seek His discipline when it comes to the area's in my life where peace evades me. As a parent, I need to ensure that I'm following God's example of discipline. That my children do not think that I constantly criticize or am holding their sins against them. I need to mix mercy with justice.
Prayer
Father, thank You for not punishing me as my sins deserve. You are both good and great and there is no one who can enact discipline in a life giving way like You can. I place myself in Your body shop and ask that You continue to refine me. Make me more life You. You are the Vinedresser (John 15:1); You know what is dead in me, You know the things that are choking out Your word, do what You will my King. Father, I also ask that You help me parent the way that You parent. Help me to slow down and not react to my children's sins with fleshly punishment, but instead with godly discipline. So that they learn to embrace discipline the way that You have taught me.
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