The healing of wound is a messy and painful process. But it is necessary, and there are no short cuts. When my daughter was a toddler, she developed a sore on her face. If left alone, it would have healed in a matter of days. But in her developing mind, it was an obstacle that was meant to be scratched away immediately. Inevitably, the sore remained for nearly a year. Like a wound on the body, there are no shortcuts to spiritual restoration and renewal. The divinely constructed method of healing must be allowed to fully occur. When the discouraging, painful rod of chastisement strikes our backs, we tend to recoil from the pain and take every measure to avoid more pain. Inevitably though, the wound never heals. Is God loving you through chastisement today? Do you find life frustrating and painful? Is your coping mechanism strictly an avoidance of reality? Let me encourage you to stop fighting a battle you cannot win? Listen to the message inside the pain. It is a message that leads to confession, repentance, and humility. And yes, it is a message that will probably involve a bit more pain. But it is also the message that will bring the deep, full cleansing your soul longs for.