21 Days of Prayer in Psalm 119 (Day #9)

Read Psalm 119:65-72

     “Affliction”

It seems odd to me that in a stanza focused on affliction, the psalmist’s opening line is “You have dealt well with your servant” (v.65). Contrary to our culture of comfort and satisfaction, and our prayers for both to continue, the psalmist confesses that the affliction he had received was part of the Lord’s dealing well with him. He desires to learn “good judgment and knowledge” (v.66) but there are some lessons that we seem to only learn through affliction.

Two verses, in particular, 67 and 71, confess to the Lord and speak to us of the up-side of affliction,

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.

Perhaps we can say the same thing. There was something difficult that happened in my life. It wasn’t enjoyable or easy. In fact, it has had a lasting negative effect on my lifestyle. However, this affliction has taught me to trust the Lord as never before. I can confess that I am glad it happened for what I have learned and done as a result, not because I liked it.

The Bible often speaks of the discipline of the Lord being proof of his love (e.g., Deut. 8:5-6; Job 5:17; Psa. 94:12; Prov. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:3-13; Rev. 3:19). We don’t normally discipline someone else’s kids, so when God disciplines us it is evidence of his love. Will we get defensive and go our own way regardless or learn the lessons of which the furnace and the flood must teach us?

“For the moment all discipline seems painful

                                         rather than pleasant,

                          but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness

to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb. 12:11)

Even Jesus learned to obey through suffering (Heb. 5:8), so who am I to demand an easier way?

O Lord, you are loving and merciful even when you afflict your children. All good and perfect gifts come from you (James 1:17), even the discipline that we so desperately need though we kick and cry and moan about it. Thank you, Jesus, that you don’t ask us to do anything that you didn’t first do yourself and that you loved us enough to not give us everything we ask for. I pray that our hearts would long to be trained by your word and bring pleasure to you along the way, yet I recognize our utter dependence upon your gift of grace to do so.