God Doesn't Spoil His Children

“If you are a child of God, note this truth, and accept it with joy: our heavenly Father never pampers His children. We may spoil our sons and daughters, but our Father never spoils His children. If He gives you great happiness and great success and makes you useful, He will every now and then give you a whipping behind the door.

You may think sometimes, “That man is very happy’ he has great blessing resting on his work.” Yes, this man is very happy to tell you that he does not have all sweets to drink, which would make him weak and sickly; but there are bitter tonics in his life, sharp blows of the rod, to keep him right. If we have to bless God more for any one thing than for everything else, it is to thank Him that we have not escaped the rod. Infirmity can be a choice blessing from God. I cannot measure the unutterable good that comes to us often in that way. Losses in business and crosses and bereavements and depressions of the spirit are all so many covenant mercies when we see them in the light of eternity.

The true-born child of God cannot escape the rod, and would not if he could. He gets afraid when does not sometimes feel it. He will not long have to be afraid about it, for it will come in due time.

I think that I hear somebody say, “I do not want that.” Rightly said, because you want worldly pleasure. Perhaps God will let you have it until you have spent all your substance on it, as the prodigal did. Then you will find that it is all weariness and sorrow, and you will want something better.

However, if you will say, “I will take the covenant of grace, rod and all’ for if I can be God’s child, I will very gladly take the rod as part of the mercies of the covenant,” come and you shall have it. Do seek the Lord this moment. Do not give sleep to your eyes nor allow your eyelids to close until you have found Him.

May God grant you all the mercies of the everlasting covenant, for Jesus’ sake! Amen.”

Grace: God’s Unmerited Favor by Charles Spurgeon

Whitaker House. 1996. Springdale , PA.