“It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.”

In order for us to believe that affliction is good, we must value faith-filled obedience more than we value comfort and ease. A statement such as the one above inevitably exposes our various idolatries (provided we are thinking clearly). For if we do not think like this, that is, if we do not believe that affliction or inconvenience or difficulty is good, we value something more than holiness and happiness in God.

The learning of God’s statutes (obedience) is so valuable that if any sort of affliction enables us to more efficiently learn to obey, then that affliction is good. Not good in and of itself, of course, but good because of where it leads (when embraced rightly). Good because affliction is used by God to point us to Him and to make us more like His Son (provided we are thinking clearly).

Notice the words of Apostle Paul,

“For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Recognize that the only way we can embrace sufferings of any kind as good is if we have a right, God-centered perspective–if we look to and value the things unseen. We must desire what the Lord desires, value what He values to the degree that He values it. We can only think clearly about suffering and inconvenience (and thus, rejoice in it) if we truly trust in the Lord. We can only see clearly if God really is our God.

Learning the Word of God with a view towards holiness and happiness in God is so valuable that any sort of suffering or inconvenience is worth it. If we believe that, we will be people of incredible freedom. We will never fear bad news, but have hearts that are firm, trusting in the Lord. We will be more than conquerors. We will live in the freedom that is ours in Christ. Freedom from fear. Freedom from unbelief. A sweet freedom that leads to happiness no matter what the circumstances and a sweet peace within.

Jesus died so that we might walk in such freedom. But in order to so, we must fight the fight of faith. We must so inundate our minds with the truth of God’s Word that unbelief gets crowded out. By the power of God’s Spirit, we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ for our good and His glory.

O for the grace to walk in such freedom! Freedom from the fear of any bad news. The freedom to rejoice. The freedom to be firm. The freedom to rest. The freedom to wholeheartedly pursue the kingdom of God. The freedom to embrace the minor inconveniences of life as a gracious means of sanctification. The freedom to risk and to truly believe that no matter what comes our way, the God of heaven and earth is working all things out for our good and His glory. O Lord, raise up such a people. And grant me the grace to be one. To be one who can honestly say, “It is good for me that I was (or am being) afflicted (or inconvenienced), that I might learn your statutes.”

The wicked men that surrounded Daniel aimed to destroy him, yet their plot came back upon their own heads. With their evil they destroyed both themselves and their families. Such is the Lord’s justice. A man is judged on the basis of what he has done or aimed to do.

“Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends” (Psalm 7:14-16).

What is even greater than this in this chapter is the way in which the Lord used the plots of these wicked men to reveal His glory to King Darius and in turn, everyone Darius ruled during that time period. For if Daniel had not been thrown into the lion’s den, there would have been no proclamation among the nations for the God of Daniel to be revered. So the Lord not only turned the plots of wicked men back upon themselves, but He used their wicked plots for His glorious end. And so it is for every evil. Nothing is pointless. Nothing is without meaning or purpose in the worthy plan of God. Especially in the lives of believers, there is no reason to fret, but only reason to rejoice. For the Lord is not only working all things out for our good, but for the manifestation of His glory in the world. And this is most certainly a case we can support and find delight in!

May we then, have the grace to trust the Lord like Daniel, whether we survive in the Lion’s Den or not.

“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.”

Notice that a study of the Lord’s works flows from a delight in the Lord’s works. Therefore, in order for a person to begin to seek the Lord and to search for a greater understanding of what He has done, there must be within a seed of delight. Something inside the man that recognizes the fact that the works of the Lord are great.

This seed of delight is a gift of the Holy Spirit, given in response to or in conjunction with an understanding of the gospel. When the the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of a man’s heart, He opens his heart to all that Jesus has done. A seed of delight in the works of the Lord is birthed by a beholding of God’s greatest work: the work of Jesus Christ. His perfect life, death, resurrection, and ascension.

If a man is having difficulty reading the Bible or other supplemental, sound Christian works, that man probably doesn’t understand the gospel. At least not really. Not in a Holy Spirit-inspired way that births in him a delight in the works of the Lord. The ‘honey’ of the gospel is not sweet to that man. And therefore, the Scriptures are a bore to him. A chore to read. He is not diligent in his study.

Well, if the ‘honey’ of the gospel is not sweet to a man, that man must be continually exposed to that gospel. He is desperate for the truth of Jesus Christ, His Person and work, to be set before the eyes of his heart, so that the Holy Spirit can work in him that sweet seed of delight. No. He cannot force himself to delight in that which is not beautiful to him. But he can pray. And he can continually expose himself to the ‘honey.’

So it is for us when the reading of the Scriptures become a chore. When we are struggling to study diligently because we lack that sweet delight. We must not stop our study, but instead, continue it all the more, with a prayer-filled hope that the Holy Spirit might work in us that sweet delight that leads to more study still. Though delight leads to increased study, if we have no delight (or our lacking it in any respect), we are wise to study all the more. To set before our mind’s eye the greatness of God’s works. For though the Lord can work in us a sweet delight however He pleases, He pleases to use the means of Scripture to work in us a sweet delight.

The two go hand in hand. Study and delight. We study to delight. And because we delight we study. We are wise to keep them in careful balance. To study continually and pray continually with a view towards God-centered delight.

“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me….”

We can only think clearly if we understand and appreciate the sovereignty of God. A thousand things fall into place when we recognize and embrace the reality that the Lord is in control over all things. That His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. That He rules over all the earth, doing as He pleases all the time. None can call Him into question, for He is the Reality that defines all other realities. He is God.

If we are having difficulties dealing with the various difficulties of life, we are wise to meditate on the sovereignty of God. Reason will return to us. We will begin to think clearly. As always, the most important thing about us is what we believe about God. And what thoughts we are presently entertaining about Him. Clear thoughts arise as we bless the Most High. We are wise then to make such blessing our lifestyle. To continually remind ourselves of the Lord’s place as God Most High. For only then will we think clearly and in turn, live well.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”

The Lord bestows favor and honor. He withholds nothing that is good from those who walk uprightly. Those who trust in Him are blessed. It simply doesn’t get better than these realities and promises. Yet it is vital for us to recognize that the Lord is the one who defines that which is good. He decides what favor and honor and blessing will look like in our respective lives. In perfect wisdom, He orders our days for our good and His glory. And His priorities are exactly what ours ought to be.

The reason this needs to be stated is because we often will receive that which is good with a great deal of unthankfulness. Not because it isn’t good, but because we don’t recognize it as good. It might seem to make our life more difficult. Indeed, it might make our life much more difficult. And yet it is good for us. It is blessing. It is favor. It is honor. It is a choice gift from the hand of our loving Father, designed to make us more like His Son, to give us His heart, to mold and shape our desires so that they line up with His passions and priorities.

We can quote Romans 8:28 well enough, but if we don’t value what God values, it won’t matter. For we will grow bitter in the face of difficulty (big or small). If we think it is good for us to walk comfortably through life, we will constantly be arguing with God and will harden our hearts to the beauty of His promises. To believe Romans 8:28 or Psalm 84:11-12, we need to submit to God’s wisdom. We need to trust that He knows what is good for us. We need to believe that holiness and happiness of heart is more important than any other thing. More important that health or wealth or comfort or the health and prosperity of those that we love. Or friendships or whatever. God and godliness are much more important than all these things. The Lord knows this full well. Do we?

Our minds need desperately to be re-trained by the Scriptures. Our mental and emotional framework need a renewal deep within, so that we will trust that no matter what comes our way, it comes our way for our good and His glory. For if we believe that, we cannot help but rejoice…no matter what we face. Oh if we could just humble ourselves and recognize that we don’t know what is good for us! We would change the world with such a mentality. Indeed, those who change the world most are those equipped with such thoughts. Forgive us for our arrogance, O Lord. Help us to change the world by humbly trusting in you.