The Good in Our Affliction

You have dealt well with Your servant,
O LORD, according to Your Word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep Your Word.
You are good and do good;
teach me Your statutes.
The insolent smear me with lies,
but with my whole heart I keep Your precepts;
their heart is unfeeling like fat,
but I delight in Your law.
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Psalm 119:65-72

Have you ever stood at the base of a palm tree? Imagine standing with your toes touching the trunk and craning your neck to look straight up. Higher and higher and higher, the trunk climbs towards a bluebird sky until finally…poof! A spray of bright green palms explodes into a firework sprawl. Tall and thin, the trunk steadily sways, with the palm topper dancing back and forth. Gusts of wind sporadically pull the tree this way…and then that way…and then this way again. With each gust, the palm bends and stretches before returning to center…and somehow, standing stronger and taller.

The wild part about palm trees is their root system. Compared to the vast height of the tree, its roots are short and shallow. So how do they stand so proudly along weather-torn coastlines? Adversity. The strength and resilience of the palm tree is directly correlated to the adversity it faces from being tossed back and forth in the wind.

Psalm 119 directs our hearts to consider the same head-scratching scenario. What if affliction plays a significant role in teaching us about the goodness of God? It seems easy and more natural to our flesh to celebrate the goodness of our Heavenly Father in the times of plenty, comfort, and ease. The unnatural and even surreal reality is that as believers we experience the tender strength of our God through times of trial. In these times His grace often seems more tangible than ever.

The classroom of affliction invites us to taste and see that God is fully trustworthy and that His presence is faithful and sufficient. In the midst of hard, we see our suffering Savior who enters into the valley with us. In our desire for ease and comfort, we are prone to stray from the source of our strength. Who needs help when things are easy? And yet when affliction tides rise, we remember our need. We remember our source of comfort, and by His grace, we choose to trust and obey.

During an immense trial years ago, I found myself bewildered by peace. Have you ever experienced that? On paper, life was really hard, and the ache was very real. And yet I felt held by such immoveable strength. I remember asking a friend: “I don’t get it. Why am I okay? With all that’s going on, why do I feel such peace?” This dear friend didn’t pause in response: “Because everything you believe is true,” she said. In the middle of affliction, it’s the merciful grace of God that holds those who belong to Him. The storms of life tug and pull us in every direction and with great purpose: to make us stronger, more resilient, and more assured of our Savior’s provision.

I stood at the base of a palm tree this summer, mesmerized by its sway and strength. Just beyond the dune, I watched my boys bouncing through the waves. One pummel after another, they popped back up to take on another wave, full of laughter. What a beautiful image of a bold and assured statement: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages” (Spurgeon). Afflictions are certain this side of heaven. How will we relate to them? Will we run away or will we stay and find ourselves held? God’s promise to us is sure: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). He is trustworthy and gracious to use all things—times of joy and times of affliction—to convince us that we are His and to conform us to His image.