This is one of the most sobering passages in Scripture. Joshua reminds Israel that not one of God’s promises has failed. Every blessing He promised has come to pass. But then he says something that stops us in our tracks: Just as God is faithful to bless, He is faithful to discipline.
We love God’s faithfulness when it means answered prayers and provision. We struggle with God’s faithfulness when it means discipline and correction. But both come from the same loving heart. God doesn’t discipline because He hates us. He disciplines because He loves us and knows where our compromises will lead if left unchecked.
Think of a parent pulling a child’s hand away from a hot stove. The child doesn’t understand. The correction feels harsh. But the parent knows that short-term discomfort prevents long-term harm. That’s what God’s discipline is like. He loves us too much to let us destroy ourselves through sin.
Hebrews 12:6 says, “The Lord disciplines the one he loves.” If you’re experiencing God’s discipline right now, it’s not because you’re outside His love. It’s evidence that you’re inside it. He’s committed to your sanctification. He will complete the work He began in you. And sometimes that work involves correction that feels uncomfortable but produces righteousness.
God’s faithfulness never changes. It cuts both ways. He is faithful to bless and faithful to discipline. And both are expressions of His unchanging love.