A Biblical Perspective on Affliction

Psalm 119, the longest in the Psalter, is a magnificent collection of prayers and affirmations concerning the wisdom, wealth, and wonder of God’s revealed Word.  This beautifully crafted acrostic poem has twenty-two stanzas corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and each stanza contains eight lines that begin with the same letter.  The eight-line structure reflects how the psalm rings the changes on eight synonyms for Scripture (law, precepts, statutes, word, commandments, testimonies, judgments, ordinances) in all but three of its 176 verses (I will leave it to you to figure out which three!).  This carefully embroidered artistic pattern does not stifle but showcases the passion the psalmist has for the moral beauty of God’s truth.

One of the great themes of this monumental psalm is the believer’s proper response to affliction and adversity.  As we have seen in our series on the Psalms, they express the full range of human emotions from the depths of despair to the heights of joy.  The Hebrew poets did not disguise their struggles, but openly acknowledged their feelings before the Lord during times of pain, grief, and doubt, and affirmed their willingness to cling to Him in spite of their circumstances.  So it is in Psalm 119: “Look upon my affliction and rescue me, for I do not forget Your law.  Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word.  Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies” (vv. 153-54, 157).

A Relationship, Not a Solution

It is simplistic and unbiblical to think that by coming to Christ, we will be protected from pain and adversity in this life.  People are often prompted to come to Him for all the wrong reasons–to have a better marriage, a better career, financial prosperity, happiness, good health, etc.  But Christianity is not a religion of solutions; it is a relationship with the Savior.  It is not a conquering of our problems, but a commitment to a Person.  The Lord calls us to pursue Him apart from any benefits He may provide.  We must love the Giver for Himself, and not for His gifts, because all these pale in comparison to knowing Him, the personal Source of every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift (James 1:17).

Two Different Perspectives

The psalmist understood this and knew that the Sovereign God can use even affliction as an instrument of His grace.  “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.  It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.  I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (vv. 67, 71, 75).  Without a biblical perspective, no one could make such affirmations.  When we suffer, we will either view our circumstances in the light of God’s character and promises, or we will view God’s character and promises in the light of our circumstances.  The former perspective is biblical and can make us better people; the latter perspective is more typical and can make us bitter people.

The key to embracing a biblical perspective on our circumstances is renewing our minds with the Word of God on a consistent basis.  This was the practice of the author of Psalm 119.  “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.  I will meditate on Your precepts, and regard Your ways.  I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.  Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness” (vv. 11, 15-16, 40).  Notice how the psalmist views his adversities through the lens of Scripture: “Remember the word to Your servant, in which You have made me hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your word has revived me.  If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction.  I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me.  I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.  Look upon my affliction and rescue me, for I do not forget Your law.  Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word.  Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies” (vv. 49-50, 92-93, 107, 153-54, 157).

We must come to the point where we are willing to admit two truths about ourselves: (1) although we think we do, we do not really know what our best interests are, and (2) even if we did, we could not achieve them on our own.  Only an omniscient, loving, and sovereign God knows and wants what is truly best for us and is capable of bringing it about.  The Scriptures assure God’s children of purpose and hope.  We will not grasp most of them in this life, but there are wise and loving purposes behind the things we do not understand.  Our task is to set our hope solely on God’s character and promises.  “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope’” (Jer. 29:11).

May you live in light of God’s good purposes,

Kenneth Boa

Nurturing Your Children in the Form of Roots and Wings

It is far better to give your children your time and nurturing in the form of Roots and Wings instead of trying to buy their affection with Loot and Things. What do we mean by Roots and Wings? We must have roots in order to grow strong and weather the buffeting winds of unforeseen storms and the challenges of weeds and droughts. These are character traits fundamental to long-term success, regardless of future environmental conditions. By wings, we mean the motivation, goal orientation and optimism to soar and fly, becoming independent, high achieving adults who make a positive difference in life.

With solid roots, children are prepared to leave their parents’ gardens. The planting of the seeds of greatness in kids takes patience and persistence. Character growth is not always immediate or obvious. If, for example, you were to plant the seed of a Chinese bamboo tree, and water and nurture the seed consistently, you could become frustrated and even discouraged, unless you knew the growth cycle of the tree. There is no visible growth the first, second, third, or fourth year. But during the fifth year, the tree will grow about ninety feet in six weeks! Did the tree really wait five years to begin growing? Of course not. The nurturing of the first four years allowed the tree to develop a strong root system which could accommodate the tremendous, visible growth that fifth year.

It is often the same in raising children. Values and character traits are not instilled overnight or by preaching. They are formed over time through modeling and repetition. Values are more often caught, than taught. Although we don’t often see the immediate consequences or rewards of the thoughts planted in our children’s minds, in due time, they will reap what has been sown.

Invest in your children’s lives by taking the thought, time and nurturing to give them Roots and Wings that allow them to soar in life!

– Denis Waitley

Here

And yet, consider this:  If you and I do not care for our bodies, our minds and our key relationships, and make this a matter of our Christian stewardship, what message does this send to those who are observing our lives, and forming opinions of us and the God we serve based on those observations?

All of this to say this:  How we live and how we care for our lives, our possessions, our time and our energy is as important a goal as any other we might set.

Agreed?

Press On