Monday Reflection – September 27, 2021

Monday Reflection – September 27, 2021
God’s Purposes for Affliction

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. Psalm 119:67 (NIV)

People of all ages, times and places struggle with the issues of afflictions and trouble as we wonder about their purpose and relentlessly strive to avoid them. As we flip through the sacred pages of the Bible, we find therein so many characters who had to deal with the everyday afflictions of life and they wrestled with it and even questioned God. Afflictions come in all shapes and sizes, from an aggravating headache to a major illness; from a simple cold to the debilitating effects of Covid-19. The truth is that we don’t need to seek affliction because sooner or later, it will find us. Sometimes our troubles come because we are just plain stupid, while other times we suffer because we live in a fallen world where sin is rampant and disease spreads.

Today’s Watchword is a confession or acknowledgment on the part of the Psalmist that he had gone astray in the past. The word “astray” means to go our own way. The Psalmist suggests that before his troubles came, he was on top of the world, his life was on cruise control, things were good. But, his prosperity had caused him to push God to the edge of life. Admittedly, we are most vulnerable to forget God and do our own thing when life is going well. However, God changed all of this. He used affliction to bring David back in line. God can speak to us through our troubles, and he stops us in our tracks many times.

When we reflect on our lives and that of our loved ones, many times we need to pray, “Lord, do whatever it takes to bring us back in line.” C. S. Lewis remarked that God whispers in our pleasure but he shouts in our pain. Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a sleeping world. David affirms that his afflictions have led him back to the Lord. Where once he lived for himself, now he obeys God’s Word. Our God is often best seen in the darkness and his presence most powerfully felt in times of deepest sorrow. Admittedly, one of the purposes of affliction is to teach us things we would not otherwise know. Until hard times come, our knowledge of God and his word tends to be theoretical, like the man who reads three books on car repair and then opens an auto repair shop. He has knowledge, but no experience. Afflictions provide the practical experiences to prove the power of God. Such experiences also result in personal growth. Many of us can testify that the greatest times of personal growth came during the times of greatest sorrow and disappointment. Indeed, we should not pray, “God, change my circumstances”, but “God, change me through my circumstances”.

Keep Believing Ministries offer five simple suggestions regarding how we should respond to the trials, troubles and afflictions of life. They are: (1) Thank God for your troubles; (2) Look for God’s fingerprints in your life; (3) Immerse yourself in God’s Word; (4) Have faith in God; and (5) When your learning becomes knowing, share what you’ve learned about God with someone else. As we face life’s afflictions and struggles, including those associated with Covid-19, may we pray that God will give us eyes to see His hand at work through them. May we allow God to use them to bring us and keep us in line with His word.

Jermaine Gibson