God Uses Sufferings for Our Good - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. You are good, and do good, teach me Your statutes...It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.
Psalm 119:67-68, 71 NKJV

God Uses Sufferings for Our Good
We often wonder and sometimes even speculate who the author of this longest and very wonderful psalm may be. But there is no question about agreeing with the thoughts it expresses. Today's verses are found in a section acknowledging the value of the sufferings the psalmist had experienced. Not knowing the author of the psalm, we have no reason to limit its key verses to any one person or set of circumstances at a particular point in history. They express universal principles of truth.

We do know that from time to time God allows sufferings to enter our lives, but only insofar as they may serve His purposes of blessing, whether for us or for others. We see a good example of this with Job, a man God commends for his righteousness, but whom He purifies and refines through suffering so as to knock out the strong undercurrent of self-righteousness in his life.

Satan meant to drive a wedge between Job and God, as well as between Job and his friends. But God made use of the suffering He allowed Satan to inflict to draw Job nearer to Himself. He taught Job and his friends most valuable lessons too, and thus doubtless drew them even closer together than before. It is deeply touching to see Job at the end praying for his friends who had hurled so many fierce yet baseless accusations at him.

Satan's malignant purposes were fully defeated. God's purpose in allowing His saint to suffer has borne precious fruit. How many millions of God's people have benefited from the story of Job down through the centuries! May God use this saint's intense suffering to bring glory to His name in our lives today as well!

-- Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.