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“Identity: Trust the Word”
Ps. 119: 65-80
Think about the problem of evil and suffering. Most often we hear the old, worn out rebuttal from atheists and agnostics that goes like this: If God were good and loving then we would always be happy with no pain in life. And if God were all-powerful, he could prevent anything from happening in my life that would cause pain. But since there is pain and suffering, then God is either not good and loving, or not all powerful, or both. So many people think this is such a good argument to disprove the existence of God. Frankly, it is so superficial it is insulting. First, it assumes that the ultimate good in this world is that we never suffer. Two, it assumes that the only factors involved in our suffering are the benevolence and omnipotence of God. It never takes into consideration our sin and the curse of sin on the world. Any thinking person knows that there is more involved as to why there is pain and suffering in the world.
In these sections of the psalm, the main idea seems to be what we can learn in the midst of suffering. Before we take a look at the specifics, it is helpful just to gain a perspective on what some of the possible purposes of suffering might be.
One, some suffering is just the result of the fact that we live in a fallen, sin-cursed world. Job 5:7- “Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”
Two, some suffering is corrective. This is mostly what the psalmist speaks of in Psalm 119. See this in v.67.
Three, some suffering is constructive. Rom. 5:3-4- “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”
Four, some suffering is given for God to be glorified. John 9:3- “Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’”
In the midst of suffering, I can learn that:
God is Good (v. 65)
In the midst of my suffering, how can I say God is good and that it is good that I am suffering? Let’s be careful about calling suffering itself good- It’s good my loved one died, it’s good I’m in so much pain. Suffering itself is not necessarily good, but God can bring good from it. That’s what v.71 is saying. The affliction itself wasn’t necessarily good, but what came of it was learning to obey God’s Word which is good.
This is what happened to Joseph in the O.T. Gen. 50:20- “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many peopleshould be kept alive, as they are today.” In the midst of suffering, we tend to lose sight of the goodness of God. But God is good, even in the darkest of hours. And his purpose in that suffering, hard as it may be for us to grasp, is meant ultimately for good.
God’s Word is Good (vv. 67, 71)
In the midst of suffering, we must remember that God’s Word is good and one of the reasons for our suffering may be to draw us closer to the Word in understanding and obedience. In v.67, the psalmist says he strayed away from obeying God’s Word, but affliction got him back on track.
Luther- “I never knew the meaning of God’s Word, until I came into affliction. I have always found it one of my best schoolmasters.”
All of this is to say that when you are suffering, make sure you are immersed in the Word. Go to it. Read, study, memorize, absorb yourself in the Word because it is good. V. 72 says the Word is priceless. The most valuable thing you have in your possession, especially in time of trial, is the Word of God.
God is Faithful (v.75)
The question in this verse is to what or whom is God faithful? On the surface, it seems that maybe God is faithful to his own righteousness and justice. This is true, but the meaning here seems to be saying that God is faithful to the psalmist in time of affliction. This means that when things are not going well for us, we can always count on the presence of God. On the contrary, unbelievers tell us and even we ourselves tend to think that in times of trials this is the time when we doubt God. But in times of pain we need to know that this is when God is very close to us.
God is Loving (vv. 76-77)
In v.76 the psalmist asks for the “lovingkindness” of God and in v.77 for his“compassion.” Even when we don’t deserve it, even when we have made a huge mistake, God still loves us and wants to bring us through the pain.
I am a Witness and Extension of God’s goodness to others (vv. 74, 79)
In these verses the psalmist wants people to look at him and how he has handled adversity and be encouraged in the Lord. In the midst of pain and suffering, we have an excellent opportunity to tell other believers and a lost world what true faith in Christ is all about. We have the opportunity to model for them how to have a perspective of trust and faith even in the darkest of times.
Billy Graham said, "Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys."