2 Samuel 12:9-10 — Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

I read a devotion today — another man’s inspiration. Now it’s dangerous to disagree with another man’s point of view on these things (and he is a very distinguished man!) — but today I feel I must. The gist of the piece was “The little boy was good, because if he was good, he’d get ice cream, but if he played up — no ice cream. It’s not like that with God, He loves us no matter what we do, and will always welcome us back with open arms if we stray.”
No don’t mistake me — it’s absolutely right. God loves us unconditionally. But there’s a risk of making a connection that isn’t intended. The connections to be avoided are first that – somehow – the father’s (human) love is reliably connected to behavior and consequences and second that – somehow – the Father’s (divine) love has no connection to consequences. Both of these need to be treated carefully.
Let’s take the human issue first. First, of course, the assumption that human parents always love their children is sadly unfounded. Then the idea that the loving parent is always using consequences in the best interests of the beloved child is on rocky ground too. Maybe Dad was offering ice cream in the hopes that peace would reign long enough for him to watch the end of the game! Even the well intentioned parent doesn’t always get it right. God isn’t like that!
The divine side of the question is almost exactly opposite. God’s love is guaranteed. It is unconditional.
God only ever uses “consequences” because He loves us. 
God’s consequences are measured — the right consequences for each one of us, in our own particular circumstances.
The story of David’s sin with Bathsheba and its consequences is a good example. David killed Uriah with the sword and therefore the sword would not depart from his house. David committed adultery privately and would be shamed publicly. But God didn’t stop loving David, and when David had repented He gave him a son, Solomon. It’s an interesting name that can be interpreted “his peace”, “(God) is peace”, or “his replacement.”
God’s love is perfect. Man’s is not. Let’s be careful not to mix them up!