God shows mercy in correcting us. He is angry in love. He smites so that He may save. His rod is not a rod of iron to break us, but is a fatherly rod to humble us. God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness (Hebrews 12:10). In each affliction, God will subdue some corruption or exercise some grace. Is there not mercy in this? Every cross, to a child of God, is like Paul’s crosswind, which, though it broke the ship, it brought Paul to shore upon the broken pieces (Acts 27:44).
