Reasons for God's Discipline - Proverbs 3:12

Our heavenly Father, in His infinite wisdom, gives us difficulties and adversities to strengthen our patience and endurance. The Bible, for example, holds out Job as one who experienced much adversity. James mentions Job (James 5:10-11), by name, as an example for us to study. We need to remember that the book of Job is part of the wisdom literature that has been given to benefit us.

Many in the west do not take the time to study out Job, because his testimony shames many of us. Think about how petty we are in the west. Many of us have never experienced the hardships that Job experienced. Think about how easy we become agitated or complain when things do not go our way, or our plans get frustrated. Whenever, I feel the need to murmur or complain, I read through the first two chapters of Job to calibrate my thinking. Job is a great example of how to respond when confronted with a hard providence from God. James, who is writing to persecuted Christians, teaches us to consider Job, because Job teaches us how God builds godly virtues (such as patience and endurance) through hardships.