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Are you suffering from pain in your life? Would you like us to pray for you?
Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.
Have you known the good that comes from being afflicted?
Trouble, pain and sorrow can correct our thinking and provide motivation to change our behavior. Just as the pain of a burn can teach a child to use caution around a stove, so the discomfort of a speeding ticket can produce restraint in a new driver.
Much of the trouble we experience comes as a result of our own sin. We just want our own way, so we plunge recklessly ahead, heedless of warnings from others or our own consciences, never considering the consequences of our selfish actions. Too often, when adversity follows we don’t stop to consider its source.
The Psalmist knew the good that came from being afflicted:
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.” (Psalm 119:67)
“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” (Psalm 119:71)
“I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:75)
The Psalmist allowed trouble to be his teacher. When he suffered the results of sinful behavior, he acknowledged his responsibility. Then he determined not to repeat his error.
We too need to understand that God’s laws were given to protect us from the anguish of sin.
Therefore when problems arise, it is good to assess if they come as a result of our own disobedience. If so, we can then confess our sins and return to the shelter of God’s commands.
God, help me to learn obedience from affliction. I want to do Your will.
Questions: How has affliction taught you obedience in the past? What lesson can you learn from the trouble in your life right now?
About the Author Suzanne Benner
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When I was 16, I was rear-ended in a car accident and bruised the frontal lobe of my brain. I struggled so much while I was recuperating, especially with my faith. Someone told me that Psalms were good to read during troubled times. My favorite verse was Psalm 118:17, “I will not die but live, and proclaim what the Lord has done.”
Affliction,this brings a question to my mind.What can a woman of charactor lack in life? Pain always take a child of god to a place of intense fellowship with him.As said in JAM 1vs2-3 “Consinder it pure joy whenever you face trials because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.Its difficult to through pain but i always know that at the end i will reach the top of the mountain whereby i will spend my time praising & worshiping my god who has seen me through and take the lesson learned to equip myself for the upcomings. Stay Blessed.
I think times of affliction are to prepare us, and keep us on the path God created us to be on. Although sorrow and sadness is painful, it doesn’t relate to the sacrafice of Christ on the cross. The speeding tickets seem so hard to deal with at the time(and sometimes with the rise of your ins. you pay a hefty price), but I look back on some of those, and they taught me to be a safer me and to be a safer driver. Who knows the trama that probably saved me in my life. Thanks for this reminder!
A prime example was the purchase of our first home. Turned out the neighbour was horrible; we desired to live in peace but she was always stirring up trouble and eventually we needed the help of a lawyer.[even the lawyers recognized that this woman ‘is out of control.’
Even 20 years later the crumbling fence was never fixed as she continued to plague other home owners.
Main lesson learned: PRAY and seek HIS will before any decision, choice in life.
I am a stroke survivor. Eight years ago I had a stroke at age 49. I found out I have an antibody in my blood which makes the blood thick and also causes Lupus (which I now have). When I was paralyzed and could hardly talk the only scripture I could remember was Proverbs 3:5&6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight
I would repeat that in my mind over and over . . and I believed it.
Even though it is hard, we must strive to change our ways and only God above, can lead us in the right direction. Praying to The Holy Spirit, & through Jesus, can we only get the much needed help we so desire, so upon living life and the things we are doing, good or bad, we MUST learn what Our Father in Heaven wants us to learn and that is by obeying him & his word. We must trust Him with all our heart. It is the only way to go, just forward & up, NOT, backwards and definitely NOT DOWN!
Reading Arlene’s quote reminded me of one of my most favorite quotes from the book, “Holes,” by Louis Sachar.
“ ‘I should warn you,’ Stanley said. ‘I’m not exactly the luckiest guy in the
world.’
Zero wasn’t worried. ‘When you spend your whole life living in a hole,’
he said, ‘the only way you can go is up.’”
I am a breast cancer servior and I know that we must be grateful for every day we have and thank God for all He has done for us
the affliction that i brought on to myself (past)has brought me to obedience (present) the lesson learned is that i can do nothing without the Lord but can do everything with the Lord in my life. and so with each day that has passed since Jesus Christ came back into my life, i am grateful for those afflictions, the ones since and the ones to come.
Kanj, what a profound truth you shared today. I’ve reaped the consequences of poor judgement too & God used it the same way.To the other gals; I’m a cancer survivor and live w/a serious chronic illness…..Amen to what Sharon wrote and Judy and the others [my memory is poor due tonight] …..I know full well how we are all one breath and one heart beat away from eternity. HE is my focus thru everything! I live for ‘HIS honour & glory’ and share my story of HIS love toward me to all who care to listen. God uses this to draw others to HIMSELF! Praise HIM
Andi, there is not a day that passes that I do not give thanks, thanks for how I got to here, to today. We are both survivors of an illness and are joyous! There is a reason as to why and I, for one, will not even try to understand it, but I do live each day one day at a time. Yesterday is past, tomorrow is not, therefore today I am ‘one breath and one heartbeat away from eternity’.God bless
Andi
I praise Him evey day for the time I have here with my family and friends
to all you wonderful ladies: God has shown us how affliction draws us closer to HIS side and to appreciation of EVERYTHING in life. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everyone’s responses to this devotional. One common thread is: w/God all things are possible and you are prime examples of what life is when given over in to the Master’s hands. I think we could continue to give examples of how HE has used affliction to mold and change us. What an inspiring topic!???? So do we pray for more affliction in order to allow HIM to make us more ‘in HIS likeness?’Hmmmm????