The Psalmist said, “It is good that I was afflicted that I may learn Your statutes”-( Psalm 119:71). The NLT puts it this way,” My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your decrees.”

You see the spiritual maturity of the Psalmist and the place the LORD brought him to have a Godly Perspective in his troubles, I mean who in their right mind says afflictions, suffering, “ … is good for me?” But note what the psalmist doesn’t say. He doesn’t say “It is good for me that I was afflicted” and end there as though that is what the end or goal of his afflictions was! That would offer no hope to the suffering saint but he goes on to say what made it “good” profitable, and advantageous, and that being “… that I may learn YOUR Statues!” The afflictions were used of God to lead him to the Word of God for in it he would find…the God of the Word!

Now if we are honest, afflictions do not always lead us to the Word of God. There are times they lead us away from His Word as we pursue, peace, rest, and deliverance in anything else. We look for substitutes, though at the time we may not admit to that. And such times reveal to us- not to God as He already knows, but reveals to us- who and what we are trusting in and our view of Scripture whether it is a high view or a low view, whether we view them sufficient or insufficient in our estimation!

“But God…” who knows best, loves us best, does not give up on us for He who began a good work IN US will complete it. And part of that work is drawing us continually to Himself to His Word so that we might know Him better, His Will, and ways so we can make the choices He would have for us. And this is a lifelong lesson of learning at times unlearning falsehoods we had embraced and believed and so the Holy Spirit renews our mind according to His Word to bring us into alignment with God!-( Read Romans 12:2)

So, the Psalmist can look at the “afflictions” and instead of cursing God as Job’s wife had suggested to him that he do so and die, the Psalmist neither curses God nor is offended by God not bitter towards Him because of his afflictions but says earlier “ You are Good and Do good…” -{Psalm 119:68}, and part of that “good?” “It is good that I was afflicted that I may learn Your statutes.” To pay attention to His Word. He saw that God used his afflictions to an end….To draw Him to His Word to learn His Word which reveals… HIM! And we see his spiritual development, and insight, by what he proclaims! He saw that God in his afflictions, had an end, and with Joseph he could say “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive”-{Genesis 50:20}.

Note not only did God intervene for Joseph but also used Joseph to intervene for others. Consider this, God intervened for the Psalmist but for future generations like you and me who can read this portion of Scripture and know one “good” God will use from our afflictions is to draw us to His Word so that we may learn more deeply of the God whose Word it is and His ways, will, promises, warnings!

Spiritual maturity is often developed in the furnace of affliction.

For it is there we often get spiritual Clarity to see the “Good,” God can bring out of the most horrendous situations to the difficulties that are part and parcel of everyday life.

When we get to the place where we can say “It is good for me that I was afflicted that I may learn Your statutes,” it is because God has done a work in our hearts not for salvation but in sanctification changing us from the inside out.

And when we come to His Word desiring to know what He says so we can “…learn HIS statutes” so as being desirous to obey Him who is good and does good- that is good!

When we can see and say this we can know we are  Growing in Godly perspective and maturing spiritually- and this is all and only possible as the Holy Spirit works this in us! 

God grant us the grace to run to His Word in times of afflictions and not somewhere else with the passion and desire to learn that we may follow Him, obey Him, and know Him better so that we may trust Him and declare to His Glory,” It is good for me to be afflicted that I may learn YOUR statues…LORD, You are Good and do good!” And that does not mean there is no sorrow, heartaches, or painful difficulties but it does mean at times even through the tears, perhaps the loneliness, isolation, or loss, by faith, you too can say He is good, does good, works ALL things together for “good” including my afflictions!

God Bless

Aidan