A Biblical Perspective on Affliction
Dear Friends,
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
P.S. This has been a challenging time for the financial support of Reflections Ministries, and I am grateful for your participation in this ministry.
