Hebrews 12:4-13 4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin: 5 and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons, My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when thou art reproved of him; 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom `his' father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened `us' as seemed good to them; but he for `our' profit, that `we' may be partakers of his holiness. 11 All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, `even the fruit' of righteousness. 12 Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied knees; 13 and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed.

Since difficulties and pain are a universal experience of mankind, we may not recognize when our particular trial is the result of divine discipline. In Job’s day, the common thinking was that all suffering was the result of sin, but today some Christians have swung so far away from this flawed teaching that they fail to consider whether their adversity might be related to waywardness.

When this happens to us, we usually just want to find a way out of the difficulty and move on, but in every painful situation, God is working to purify our life and make us righteous. He knows our weaknesses and sees when we compromise and fall into sin. So as a loving Father, He intervenes to bring us back into obedience and fellowship with Him.

Pain has a way of bringing to light sinful attitudes and practices, of which we were unaware. It drives us to our knees, and as we draw closer to the Lord, we see more of His holiness and recognize the ugliness of our sin.

What we do with this conviction of sin is of utmost importance. If we grumble and groan but refuse to repent and change, then we lengthen the trial, which intensifies the pain and sets us up for further discipline. This is not a sign of God’s disfavor; rather it shows His love for us. He knows a path of sin is unfitting for His children.

Let’s choose the better option of repentance and obedience. When we let our trials train us in holiness, we will reap “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11). And compliance with the will of our heavenly Father brings joy to His heart.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 6-7 Chapter 6 1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself unto Jehovah, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried. 4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the kernels even to the husk. 5 All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in which he separateth himself unto Jehovah, he shall be holy; he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. 6 All the days that he separateth himself unto Jehovah he shall not come near to a dead body. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation unto God is upon his head. 8 All the days of his separation he is holy unto Jehovah. 9 And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile the head of his separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it. 10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting: 11 and the priest shall offer one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make atonement for him, for that he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. 12 And he shall separate unto Jehovah the days of his separation, and shall bring a he-lamb a year old for a trespass-offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled. 13 And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tent of meeting: 14 and he shall offer his oblation unto Jehovah, one he-lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb a year old without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings, 15 and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings. 16 And the priest shall present them before Jehovah, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering: 17 and he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof. 18 And the Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings. 19 And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazirite, after he hath shaven `the head of' his separation; 20 and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before Jehovah; this is holy for the priest, together with the wave-breast and heave-thigh: and after that the Nazirite may drink wine. 21 This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, `and of' his oblation unto Jehovah for his separation, besides that which he is able to get: according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his separation. 22 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel: ye shall say unto them, 24 Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee: 25 Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27 So shall they put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Chapter 7 1 And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, and all the furniture thereof, and the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them and sanctified them; 2 that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes, these are they that were over them that were numbered: 3 and they brought their oblation before Jehovah, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle. 4 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 5 Take it of them, that they may be `used' in doing the service of the tent of meeting; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service. 6 And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites. 7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service: 8 and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged unto them; they bare it upon their shoulders. 10 And the princes offered for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their oblation before the altar. 11 And Jehovah said unto Moses, They shall offer their oblation, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar. 12 And he that offered his oblation the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah: 13 and his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 14 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 15 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 16 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 17 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 18 On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer: 19 he offered for his oblation one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 20 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 21 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 22 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 23 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Nethanel the son of Zuar. 24 On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun.: 25 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 26 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 27 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 28 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 29 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Eliab the son of Helon. 30 On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben: 31 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 32 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 33 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 34 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 35 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Elizur the son of Shedeur. 36 On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon: 37 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 38 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 39 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 40 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 41 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 42 On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad: 43 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 44 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 45 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 46 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 47 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 48 On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim: 49 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 50 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 51 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 52 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 53 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Elishama the son of Ammihud. 54 On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh: 55 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 56 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 57 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 58 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 59 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 60 On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin: 61 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 62 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 63 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 64 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 65 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Abidan the son of Gideoni. 66 On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan: 67 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 68 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 69 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 70 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 71 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 72 On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, prince of the children of Asher: 73 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 74 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 75 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 76 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 77 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Pagiel the son of Ochran. 78 On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali: 79 his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred a thirty `shekels', one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 80 one golden spoon of ten `shekels', full of incense; 81 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering; 82 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 83 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Ahira the son of Enan. 84 This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, twelve golden spoons; 85 each silver platter `weighing' a hundred and thirty `shekels', and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the vessels two thousand and four hundred `shekels', after the shekel of the sanctuary; 86 the twelve golden spoons, full of incense, `weighing' ten `shekels' apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the spoons a hundred and twenty `shekels'; 87 all the oxen for the burnt-offering twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the he-lambs a year old twelve, and their meal-offering; and the males of the goats for a sin-offering twelve; 88 and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace-offerings twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he-goats sixty, the he-lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed. 89 And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the mercy-seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim: and he spake unto him.