His Encouragement Psalm 119:71

Posted by abakersp in Thoughtful Thursday / 4 Comments

 

Happy Thursday friends! Welcome to another edition of His Encouragement, a weekly post where my blogging friends and I try to lift your spirits and provide you some encouragement 🙂

 

Today’s verse comes from Psalm 119:71. It is a verse that upfront doesn’t sound very encouraging, but if you really think about it, it will.

 

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” Psalm 119:71

 

Now I am going to be honest, when I first saw that it was good for me to be afflicted, my reaction was not a good one. No one likes to suffer and go through hardships. The word “hard” is right in there! And while we are in the thick of whatever hardship we are faced with, I don’t know too many people who will stop and say, “Gee Lord, thank you for this difficult time.” No, usually we cry to the Lord for help, to get us out of whatever we are dealing with. We cry for the Lord to provide answers. We cry for the Lord to save us.

Did you know that as a whole (I’m really generalizing here, so here me out), Christians are closer to God when they are going through a difficult time? I’ve actually looked back at my own life, and while I can’t say it’s true 100% of the time, it is true more times than I care to admit. I’m working on that by the way, and I’m making some headway but still have room for improvement. And why is that? Well, I can only surmise that when life is going great, we get comfortable. If things are going smooth, what do we have to pray about? If we’re having a easy life, why do we need to lean on the Lord? We got this, things are going smooth as is. WRONG! Friends, have you ever noticed that when you get comfortable, that is usually about the time “something” comes up and you find yourself needing to lean on the Lord again? It’s because God wants our focus on Him all the time, and He’s trying to get our attention. And here’s the great thing about affliction. You can usually learn something from it, hence the second portion of the verse.

God doesn’t bring troubles in our life to cause us harm. He does it to help us grow, to enhance our relationship with Him, and to watch us flourish to the other side. I know it sounds hard, but the next time you’re going through something tough, take a step back and remember this verse. Remember to lean on the Lord, through good times and bad. Remember to praise Him for all things. And remember, He is always there for you.

 

Now it’s your turn friends. What verse is on your heart today? Make sure you visit these other wonderful blogs for some more encouragement!

 

Trisha @ Joy of Reading

Nicole @ Christian Fiction Girl

Jacquelyn @ A Heavenly Home

Becca @ The Becca Files

4 responses to “His Encouragement Psalm 119:71