‘It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.’ (vv71–72) Psalm 119:67–72
One of the great challenges that confronts the Christian is the fact of suffering in the world. Whilst we may question why an all powerful God allows such adversity, we can see that it is common to all humanity.
It’s a mistake to assume that Christian faith itself is sufficient to ward off disappointment and apparent disaster. Whilst we may accept that God dealt with sin that separates us from God, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus took on all our sufferings (Isa. 53:4). In other words, salvation means that Jesus has made a way for us for every one of life’s eventualities. Once again, our hope in life is found within God’s Word.
Scripture is a series of stories, yet within those stories the threads that hold all of life together are found. We always need eyes to see these threads, and God’s grace to weave them together to provide us with a wardrobe that withstands all weathers.
The reason is that our tangible experiences in life are not the substantial reality of eternal life, in which we participate the moment we turn to Jesus. These are incredibly difficult and painful experiences within which we can find Christ, often with a struggle, and find rest for our souls (Matt. 11:29). Soaking in Scripture offers us a safe harbour through each of life’s storms.
Scripture to consider: Psa. 103:1–6; Psa. 119:65–88; Matt. 8:14–22; James 5:7–15.
An action to take: Have we the confidence and courage to entrust all of our life to God’s promise to keep us safe?
A prayer to make: ‘Lord, Your hands formed me; give me understanding of Your Word. Amen.’ (Psa. 119:73)
Photo by Earl Wilcox on Unsplash
