PSALM 119:67, 71, 75 – 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. 71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. 75 I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.”
THEME OF THE DAY: THE SPIRITUALLY MATURE RESPONSE TO SUFFERING. Today’s three scriptures come from Psalm 119. This Psalm is unique for a couple of reasons. First, it is the longest chapter of the longest book in our Bibles. Next, its structure. The book is divided into twenty-two parts, according to the number of the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. The verses in today’s nugget come from the ninth letter – Teth.
As we view the three verses what are common elements linking them together? The themes of suffering, God’s Word, and the personal nature of suffering. We found the words affliction; different terms for scripture – word, statutes, rules; and personal pronouns “I” and “me” appearing eight times in three short verses. Combining all these, we may establish the spiritually mature response to suffering.
First, the mature Christian knows suffering is God’s way to teach us obedience. The Psalmist is telling us, “O, Lord, You have brought suffering into my life because without it, I will grow comfortable, neglect obeying Your Word and backslide.” God in His mysterious but wise ways knows suffering “keeps us in line” because it keeps us close to Him and that only occurs through obedience. So suffering is a restraint holding back our bent toward ease and comfort – dangerous foes warring against every Christian.
Next the mature Christian embraces the truth that God is good, all the time; God is faithful, all the time; God is trustworthy, all the time and those truths only become unwavering heart convictions through the hot furnaces of affliction and suffering. Notice the proclamation the Psalmist makes – “It is good for me that I was afflicted.”
Do you immediately say such words when suffering is upon you? Do I? The only way we may is if we truly believe God is good, faithful, and trustworthy. And how does such belief come upon us? Suffering that “forces” us to rely upon God to build a solid faith in God. The Apostle Paul affirms this truth in the opening of his second letter to the Corinthians – For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again (2 Corinthians 1:8-10).
So, are we mature or maturing Christians? A lot of Biblical tests to take to find out and one high on the list is our response to suffering. It gives us a very accurate measurement of our spiritual maturity.
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I am quick to complain in suffering instead of being quick to learn from suffering.”
QUOTE: “God uses all things for our good to include suffering but only if we find ourselves teachable in the suffering.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim