TLIC Psalms. November 8. Afflicted.

Read Psalm 119:65-72 ⁶⁵You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. ⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. ⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. ⁶⁸You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. ⁶⁹The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; ⁷⁰their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. ⁷¹It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. ⁷²The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

We live in a culture that simply does not believe verse 71. It was good for me that I was afflicted. All affliction is meant to be ended, solved, relieved. Denial works great at this. Or blaming. Or projection. There are many ways for us to cope with our afflictions.

But calling our affliction good is not typically one of our coping mechanisms. Or at least not a healthy one. How can something bad be good? How can a problem be a positive?

Only when you have a God who is good and does good can this be the case.  When you have a sovereign God who uses all things to transform you, then, and only then, can you say in all honesty, it was good when I was afflicted.  

For David, his affliction was good because it caused him to learn God’s statutes. For those who are in Christ, we can see how our afflictions have conformed us into the image of Christ. The image of a suffering servant. And there is nothing better than that.

To live is Christ removes all meaningless suffering from our lives. Every affliction, big and small, is used by God to make us more like his Son.

You: What kind of affliction are you facing this week?

You in Christ: How does union with Christ mean that there is no longer any meaningless suffering?

Christ in you: Where can you see your affliction making you more dependent on Christ?

Pray: Father, it was good when I was afflicted. Yes, I can admit it now that I look back and see how you transformed me into Christ’s likeness through it. Amen.