For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son He receives.” (Hebrews 12:6) When most people think of God, they imagine His love, mercy, and forgiveness. These truths are the foundation of our faith, but if we only see God as endlessly tolerant, we miss a sobering reality: He is also a righteous Judge. His love corrects, but His wrath punishes. His rod disciplines, but His wrath destroys. Which side of God we experience depends on one crucial choice — will we repent and live holy, or will we rebel and face judgment? In Woe: The Reflection, Redirection, and Reassurance of God, author Manervia Washington explains the critical difference between God’s rod and His wrath. The rod is like the hand of a loving parent correcting a child, meant to redirect us back to righteousness. Wrath, on the other hand, is the unleashed anger of God against unrepentant sin — a force no one can withstand. Understanding this difference could be the key to our survival in a world where sin is celebrated, truth is distorted, and God’s judgment is already at the door.

Washington draws on the Bible’s rich imagery to show that the rod of God is not meant to harm but to correct. Just as a parent may spank or discipline a child out of love, God allows His children to go through chastisement so they can learn obedience and grow in holiness. The book of Proverbs reminds us: “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” (Proverbs 13:24). The rod is God’s way of showing us that He cares too much to leave us in our sin. His correction may come through conviction in our spirit, hardships that humble us, or trials that strip away our pride. Painful as it feels, the rod is God’s mercy in action — it redirects us before it is too late.

While the rod offers hope, the wrath of God is far more terrifying. Wrath is not correction; it is condemnation. Wrath is what fell on Egypt in the plagues, what consumed Sodom and Gomorrah, and what the prophets warned Israel about when they turned to idols. Washington explains that wrath is different because it comes when people refuse the rod. It is what happens when nations, churches, and individuals repeatedly harden their hearts, ignoring God’s call to repentance. In her words, wrath is “where His anger is kindled. Who can stand against Him?” The Bible itself describes His wrath in staggering terms: famine so severe that parents eat their children (Ezekiel 5:10), wars and pestilences shaking nations (Matthew 24:6–13), and spiritual famine where God’s Word becomes silent (Amos 8:11). Wrath is not temporary discipline — it is judgment poured out on those who refuse correction.

The world has blurred the line between God’s love and His judgment. Many churches only preach about blessings, comfort, and prosperity, leaving out the uncomfortable truth of chastisement. This has produced a generation of believers who think grace excuses sin, when in fact grace calls us to holiness. Washington warns that when Christians only expect God’s kindness but ignore His correction, they end up facing His wrath. The reality is this: if we do not welcome God’s rod, we are preparing ourselves for His wrath. In today’s society, sin is openly celebrated. Idolatry comes in many forms — wealth, fame, possessions, even false religion. The church itself has often grown lukewarm, offering watered-down sermons to keep crowds happy. But God is not mocked. His judgment begins with His people (1 Peter 4:17), and only those who respond to His rod will be spared from His wrath.

Many believers mistake God’s discipline for rejection, when in truth, discipline is proof of His love. The pain of correction is not God abandoning you — it is God saving you from greater destruction. Washington shares that chastisement can take many forms: unanswered prayers, repeated failures, or seasons of hardship. But each trial is an invitation to self-examination. Instead of asking, “Why me?” the better question is, “Lord, what are You teaching me through this?”

The message of Woe is both a warning and a reassurance. The warning is clear: God’s wrath is real, and it is already unfolding in natural disasters, wars, and spiritual decline. But the reassurance is just as powerful: God still offers His rod — His correction — as a path to life. Repentance is the key. If we humble ourselves, confess our sins, and turn from them, we place ourselves under the rod of correction rather than the hammer of wrath. It is never too late to repent, never too late to receive God’s discipline as love rather than judgment. This is why Washington emphasizes repentance over and over again. True repentance is not lip service — it is transformation. It is the willingness to let God break us, mold us, and redirect us. And in that submission, we find reassurance that His rod, though painful, is far better than His wrath.