CHAPTER FIVE

Blessed Through Affliction

Psalm 119:71 (KJV)

71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

How can we be blessed through affliction? First, affliction can bring us closer to God. Second, afflictioncan be used to bring glory to God. Affliction can bring us closer to God and affliction can bring glory to God.

Affliction, which comes in various ways, can be packaged in many different ways. Affliction can be asickness that just won't get well. Affliction can be a pain that just won't stop hurting or an addiction thatseemingly just can't be overcome. Affliction can be a handicap that is permanent. Affliction can be an illnessthat may be terminal. Affliction can be nervousness that can't be calmed, a problem that can't be solved, or amess that can't be cleaned. Affliction comes in many bags, packaged in many ways.

Trusting God in the Midst of AfflictionWe have a problem trusting in God's Word in the time of affliction. We too often focus on the affliction

rather than trusting in the Word of God. We've become preoccupied with what we are going through. Apreacher told a story of when he was having some tremendous problems in his church. An elderly womaninvited him to her house for lunch. She fixed him a nice meal. He wanted to talk about his problems, but shejust wanted to show him a picture of Daniel in the lion's den. She took him into her family room and showedhim a huge picture of Daniel in the lion's den. She asked him what he saw in the picture. He said that he sawlions. She told him to keep looking. All he could see was a man and some lions. The old lady told him to keepon looking, but all he could see were the lions. Then she told him to look at Daniel and tell her what Danielwas doing.

Maybe you've seen this picture. Daniel is not looking at the lions. In the picture, Daniel has his face towardthe heavens. When we're in the lion's den, the problem is that we are focusing on the lion. The Word of Godsays, don't focus on the lion, but, "look to the hills from whence cometh your help" (Psalm 121:1). Focus onGod. If there's any affliction in our lives, we must stop focusing on our problems and look at the Word ofGod. God has given precepts: Delight in Thy Word. All things work together for the good of those who lovethe Lord and are the called according to His purpose.

The writer of Psalm 119 was going through something, but he didn't focus on the problem. Instead, hefocused on the Word of God.

A Lesson from a PsalmistIn verse 50, the psalmist says, "The law is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."

The word "quickened" means made alive. By the time he gets to verse 65, he narrows his attention to simplybeing blessed in his affliction by the Word of God. He says in verse 67-68 and 71-72, "Before I was afflicted Iwent astray: but now have I kept thy Word. Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes... It is goodfor me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes (thy word, thy law). The law of thy mouth isbetter unto me than thousands of gold and silver."

The psalmist says, "Before I was afflicted, I acted like a complete fool. Before I was afflicted, I wentastray, but now I have kept Thy Word." The psalmist says, "I went astray, but now I have kept Thy Word, I'mback in Your will. I went astray, but now I'm keeping Your Word. I'm walking in the way. But as I look backover it, I can truly say it was good for me to have been afflicted that I might learn Your Word. If I hadn't beenafflicted, I may not have known Your Word. Your Word is more precious to me now. I went astray and Youtaught me Your Word. Your Word brought me back. And to me now Your Word is more precious thananything on earth. There is nothing more valuable to me than Your Word."

Blessed with Comfort in AfflictionGod's Word is a comfort to us in the time of affliction. "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word

hath quickened me" (Verse 50). Even in the affliction of the hurt of a loved one's death, God's Word brings uscomfort. What if we had to go to funerals with no word from God? What if the preacher doing the eulogycould not say those comforting words that we hear?

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First Thessalonians 4:18 is often read at homegoing celebrations: "...Comfort one another with thesewords." In other words, these are words of comfort. Suppose we did not have these words? We are indeedblessed through affliction by His Word.

Blessed with Correction in AfflictionGod uses affliction to correct us and humble us. There are some lessons that can only be learned in

adversity. There are some lessons that can only be learned in the dark shadows of life. The songwriter said itwell when he said if I had not had problems, how would I have ever known that God can solve them? Thepsalmist said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray."

God sometimes has to punish us or chastise us to make us do right. Like any loving parent, God often hasto discipline us, punish us and sometimes slap us on the hand. Sometimes He has to take a switch to our legs.And at other times we are so hardheaded, He has to hit us in the head with a two-by-four. All God'spunishment and chastisement are done in love, therefore, God could never be locked up for abusing one ofHis children.

An Opportunity to Bless GodAffliction can be used to bring glory to God. In John 9, Jesus meets a blind man and his parents. The

religious folks asked Jesus, "Why is this man blind?" More specifically, they said, "Who sinned? Did hisparents sin or did he sin? Why is he blind?" Jesus said, "Neither. He's blind to bring glory, to bring themanifestations of the power of God where everybody can see the good works that God has."

If we've ever had a handicapped child, we ought to delight in this word. If we've ever had an afflicted child,we should find comfort that neither Mama, Daddy, nor the child sinned, but it can bring glory to God. If we'veever had an afflicted relative, we should understand that this can bring glory to God. If we are a product of anincestuous relationship, a bastard child, or whatever our situation may be, we should remember that the Wordof God says affliction can bring Him glory.

Paul said, "I'm not going to brag about my revelations, but I'm going to brag about my infirmities. I'mgoing to brag about the thorn in my flesh, my affliction, because it brings glory to God. So the power ofChrist can rest on me."

A Personal TestimonyI, like Paul, have a thorn in the flesh. God used my thorn to keep me from going astray; when I went astray,

God put the thorn in my flesh to bring me back to where I should be. God still uses my thorn to keep me fromthinking too much of myself. My body and mind were once afflicted with alcohol addiction that would not goaway. An addiction that caused me much pain and much affliction. An addiction that I could not solve bymyself. Jesus lifted my affliction and now I can truly say, like the psalmist, it was good that I was afflicted.Before I was afflicted, I had gone astray, but my affliction taught me to trust in God. My affliction broughtme on the right track. Even now, when I begin to think too much of myself, God just kind of twists my thornand lets me know I'm not The Right Reverend Doctor McCalep. I'm just a nobody trying to tell everybodyabout somebody who will bless anybody.

SummaryWe can be blessed through our affliction because affliction brings us closer to God, and God can be

glorified through our afflictions. The psalmist in the 119 Psalm and the apostle Paul, speaking to the church atCorinth, teaches us powerful lessons about being blessed through affliction. The psalmist proclaims that hehad gone astray, but his affliction corrected him. Therefore it was good that he was afflicted. The apostle Paulproclaims that his affliction of "a thorn in the flesh" provided a great opportunity to glorify God. We learnthat through affliction we grow closer to God because God comforts us in our afflictions, and we aredisciplined and corrected by our afflictions. Through it all, we are blessed through afflictions because ourafflictions provide an excellent opportunity for us to bless God.

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