Pressure to Separate
God, in His infinite wisdom and unending compassion, disciplines those He loves to the point of separation. Not to separate us from Him, but instead to the point where we focus on Him thereby separating us from the sin that is leading to our death. Whether it is a nation or one person, the Lord knows how to deal with the condition of the heart so that there is separation without crushing.
The wheel is pasted over the wheat so that the chaff is separated from the grain. Only a fool would continue to run the wheel over the wheat until both the chaff and the grain is smashed. God is no fool.
He disciplines until that sin which has imprisoned us is separated from us. He will not crush our spirits. He will not destroy His children, His beloved.