Reflections on Punishment

I think about suffing often,
things lost...
mistakes made...
and the consequences -
punishment.
Punishment is a way of learning
but what meaning is there, God,
if what we are learning
is of no value?...
if the circumstances and nature of our learning
can never be repeated?
Why chastize us, Lord
for our bad choices
if we will never be given
those choices to make again?

The lessons from the Book of Job
are so unsatisfactory,
that we just cannot know
what you know.
Then why chastize us -
why punish us at all
if there is nothing to be learned
or understood?
Why this pointless suffering?
It's the same questions
that have been asked
but for me the answers
just lead me back to the same questions
and so on
and so on...
I can't believe I'm the only one
caught in this loop?