Reason for Affliction

Anybody would agree that life isn't easy. We all go through difficult seasons in our lives, and sometimes the end to our affliction is indefinite. It often feels like there is no hope for a better situation or no light at the end of the tunnel. According to the Bible, this is just a fact of life; as long as we live on earth, trials are inevitable (John 16:33).

We often hear that God loves us and is always with us. The Bible tells us these statements are true, but they can be hard to accept when we are in the midst of tribulations. We may begin to wonder why our Heavenly Father would let us endure difficult times. How could the One who claims to love us most allow us to be put through affliction? It does not feel like an act of love; instead, it seems He abandoned us when we need Him most.

As I was reading Psalm 119:65-72, I realized that God allows us to be afflicted for a reason.

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. ... It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes" (Psalm 119: 65, 71).

In verse 65, notice how the psalmist says that he went astray BEFORE he was afflicted. While he was experiencing a season without affliction and felt like life was great, he was actually straying from God's word. His time without tribulation caused him to forget his need to depend on the Lord. In the second part of the verse, he says that he NOW keeps God's word. The psalmist's affliction helped him realize that he had gone astray and was then able to draw closer to the Lord. In verse 71, he even says that it was good that he was afflicted because it put him in the position to realize that he needed to learn God's law. Due to the trials he experienced, he was able to deepen his relationship with the Lord.

It can be easy to forget that we need the Lord when our lives are going great. Although the He provides for us in every season of our lives, the good and the bad, our times without affliction can deceive us to think we are fine on our own. We are prone to wander far from His side when we forget our need to depend on Him, despite the fact that it is the Lord's doing that brought us where we are today.

Then, when we go through difficult times, we blame God for being distant from us. We accuse Him of leaving our side and feel He abandoned us. In reality, it is not God who wandered from us, but us who wandered from God. The Lord is always waiting, ready to provide for us and cultivate a relationship with us, but we push Him away by thinking we can provide for ourselves. And when things go wrong, somehow God is the one to blame.

Instead of blaming God when we experience afflictions, we must realize that we are in this position for a reason. God allows us to be afflicted because it shows us that we can't live without Him. During this time, we are able to find our way back to the Lord's side and experience His promise that he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). God's plan for us is for our welfare, not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11), so we can be confident that our suffering is not in vain. If we fulfill God's purpose for affliction by drawing nearer to Him during our pain, we will emerge with a stronger relationship with Him .

In conclusion, trials and tribulations are inevitable during our time on earth, but God puts us in these positions to show us that we wandered from His side. During these times we can choose to either distance ourselves from Him even further, or draw nearer to Him. I encourage you to use your time of affliction to grow your relationship with the Lord. Mediate on the truth that God does not intend to harm us but to help us. And when your time of affliction is over, remind yourself to ALWAYS rely on the Lord. Instead of slipping away from His presence, use your seasons of joy to be thankful and reflect on the good things He has done for you.

- Lena