The Man Whom God Corrects

The Man Whom God Corrects

Job 5:17-22 NKJV

[17] “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. [18] For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. [19] He shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you. [20] In famine He shall redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword. [21] You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes. [22] You shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

    Eliphaz now suggests another possible explanation for Job's predicament. Now he thinks that what's happening to Job is actually God's correction in the way Job had lived. 

When most people hear the word correction, they think of punishment, failure, or rejection. But God’s correction is none of these. It is His hand of love guiding us back into the path of life. So Eliphaz missed the point again.

     Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that God’s discipline is proof of our sonship: He corrects us because He loves us, not because He has abandoned us. His Word warns us like road signs on a highway. Circumstances may redirect us like Jonah in the belly of the fish. Sometimes, He uses people—like Nathan confronting David—to point out what we cannot see. And often, His Spirit quietly nudges our conscience, like a smoke detector that goes off before fire spreads.

      Though correction can sting, its purpose is beautiful: to protect us from harm, to form holiness in us, and to prepare us for greater service. Like a goldsmith refining gold in fire, God uses correction to burn off what is impure and bring out the beauty He already sees in us. The right response is humility and repentance, not resentment. Correction is not a sign of God’s anger but His affection. If we receive it with gratitude and obedience, it will yield the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11). 

    Eliphaz is correct in  his view of God's help and restoration. He only missed Job's circumstances. Eventually, Job laughed at destruction. You will laugh as well, in Jesus Name. Good morning.