Proverbs 12:1          “The one who loves discipline loves knowledge, but the one who hates reproof is stupid.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, the heart, faith, words, and thoughts gripped my consciousness.   Proverbs 11 begins with the destructiveness and power of Pride.  Pride is a mysterious thing, shaping the thoughts, feeding the lust of covetousness and envy, and thereby bringing us down in destruction.

Because of Love, God disciplines us. Proverbs 12:1 is a difficult pill for many to swallow. “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge.”  Is that saying we long for discipline (punishment)?   No, that would be a misunderstanding of discipline and its purpose.   

Discipline is correction, which enables us to learn a principle that brings us peace and productivity.  The one who craves knowledge (especially the knowledge of God) understands that discipline opens the door to truth and liberates.

God desires to develop pure hearts that are yielded to His purposes.  The blessings of God are often realized in the midst of a trial.  The gist of Proverbs 14:4 could be summed up this way – “No milk without some manure.”   Trials are fertilizers for faith.

God desires to bring us to a place where we are not “two-hearted” or “double-minded.”  He wants to bring us to the place where we have learned to trust Him totally.   Proverbs 12:5-8 reminds us that righteous thoughts open the door to deliverance and give access to insight that leads to victory.

The heart is the key.   If we give God our whole heart, He will guard it and guide it.   If we allow pride, envy, jealousy, lust, covetousness, or develop the idea of fairness and entitlement, we will become ensnared by our thoughts, which will imprison us and prevent us from accessing God’s fullness.

What fills our thoughts holds our hearts and determines our destiny. The heart is the key.

Lord help us to desire knowledge to the point we are willing to receive discipline!