JANUARY 21

PROVERBS 13:24

HOW MUCH DO YOUR PARENTS LOVE YOU?

"Where is the cane?" e angry father bellowed. One of the two brothers must have hidden the cane their father used on them.
"Oh no, he is sure to beat me to death this time." Wei Yang thought to himself. He ran to hide behind Grandma because Grandma loved him dearly and would surely protect him. To his horror, Grandma came out of her room with the cane in her hand. Wei Yang had hidden it in her room thinking that his father would never nd it.

Wei Yang was given two strokes: one on his left palm; the other on his right shin. That was just punishment for he pushed his brother off the chair and kicked him with his right foot. Father had taught him to love his brother and not to bully him but Wei Yang disobeyed yet another time.

Grandma held his hand, brought him to her room and sat him next to her. "How could you play me out? I thought you love me." Wei Yang asked Grandma between sobs.

"Of course, I love you. So does your father. "Grandma promptly replied. "He caned you because he loves you."
Grandma then read and explained Proverbs 13:24 to Wei Yang: "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."
         

God has instructed godly parents to use the cane when necessary and to chastise or discipline their sons and daughters when they disobey and do wrong. In other words, if parents love their children, they must not spoil them. Wei Yang’s father was obedient to God. Surely, it pained him to cane his own son. But he loves his son too much to spare the cane.
Fill in the blanks:
Dad canes me for being naughty because he __________ me.
When he disciplines me, he is being __________ to God.
Spare the rod and __________ the child.

Thought: A good parent teaches by using the cane sometimes.
Prayer: Father in Heaven, I thank You for loving parents. Help me to understand that they are being obedient to Your word when they discipline and correct me for doing wrong. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.