Devotion:God's Purposes for Affliction

God's Purposes for Affliction

By Marsha Iddings

Psalm 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
Psalm 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

I have been reading through Psalm 119 and have noticed several verses that address the problem of afflictions. These have stood out to me as I have been dealing with tendonitis in my arms. It makes life difficult and complicated when almost everything I do aggravates the situation. Yes, I have been very discouraged at times, but I am also encouraged as I have had more time to read and meditate on God's Word while my arms have been on heat and ice each day.

Yes, it has been good that I am afflicted. It is easy to get busy with day to day activities and chores and forget to sit down and spend time with God, reading His Word and communing with Him. I often went astray. In Bible lands when a shepherd had a lamb that continually wondered off, the shepherd would break its leg. Then he would carry it until the fracture healed. The lamb would bond with the shepherd during this time learned to stay close to him once he could walk again. Now, I am learning to stay close to and obey the Shepherd.

Hebrews tells us why God brings hardship on His own. Hebrews 12:10-11 says,

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Through this affliction, God is showing me where I need to improve as a parent in teaching my kids to take more responsibility and to be accountable for getting their work done and doing it well.

What God does is always right. I struggled to understand how affliction could possibly have anything to do with God being faithful to me when it was so painful. Now I understand it better. He faithfully afflicts me that I might learn as a child learns from a parent's discipline. He faithfully afflicts me that I might learn:

1. not to go astray (Psalm 119:67)
2. to keep (obey) His Word (Psalm 119:67)
3. that I might learn His statutes (commandments) (Psalm 119:71)
4. that I might learn to parent my own children better (Hebrews 12:10-11)

Are you going through difficult times? Take heart. God is faithful. He never wastes anything on His children. Let these times cause you to run to Him Who is faithful.

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