Thinking, praying, reading, studying the Bible – when we do these things, we are reflecting on the Word of God. To reflect is to contemplate and/or consider, and God wants us to deeply reflect on His Word so that we can better understand Him.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).

There are three ways of meeting divine chastening. We may “despise” it, as something commonplace—something that may happen to any one; we do not see the hand of God in it. Again, we may “faint” under it, as something too heavy for us to bear—something entirely beyond endurance; we do not see the Father’s heart in it, or recognize His gracious object in it, namely to make us partakers of His holiness. Lastly, we may be “exercised” by it. This is the way to reap “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” afterward. . . . Every stroke of His rod is a proof of His love.
~ C. H. MACKINTOSH

Why should I start at the plough of my Lord that maketh deep furrows on my soul? I know He is no idle husbandman, He purposeth a crop.
~ RUTHERFORD

God wants iron saints; and since there is no way of imparting iron to the moral nature other than by letting His people suffer, He lets them suffer. . . . The iron crown of suffering precedes the golden crown of glory.
~ F. B. MEYER

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.