Remember how the L ORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. (Deut. 8:2) Memories of one of my desert seasons still gives me literal nightmares. For years I have gloried in reflecting upon that season, and thanking God for bringing me through. Partly, I thought God brought me to this particular place to help me "grow up". Since the dreams didn't seem to stop, I had to dive further into my heart. Why do these memories seem to cause so much fear or pain? Shouldn't I be over whatever happened back then because God used it for good? But that's the problem, God used them for good, but He didn't draw me into the desert to cause the pain. The pain in those few years were not a direct result of the chastisement of the Lord. A father may discipline his son, but discipline is different from punishment.
