I’ve come to believe one of the reasons for trials and tragedies is that God wants a sort of divine blindness to come upon us. Because when things are normal, we’re so afraid God will take the self-life away from us, when we see Him coming we run and hide. But when we experience tragedy the eyes of our souls are so filled with tears, we don’t see Him coming–at least not in the same way we do when life is without trials.
And it’s then that He can connect with us in a way that He can’t when things are normal.
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:71
Oh my! You have no idea how much this scripture means to me. You have taken me back to the 80s. I was at work and took the stairs to get to the next floor. I slipped on those cement stairs and got hurt.
While at home convalescing I was combing through the scriptures and landed on Psalm 119.71. It really got my attention in regard to my slip and fall. It spoke to me so strongly that I wrote a note to my Pastor about it. On a few occasions I would remember this scripture in the filing cabinet of my mind, but in part, therefore I would struggle to find it in the Bible again because I couldn’t remember which “drawer” I’d filed it in “up there”. Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about!
This is the greatest article you could write and share at year end; it may be short, but it packs a punch for it should serve to remind us all that 1) we are weak, but HE is strong 2) we fall on occasion and get injured because we do not follow His laws for we make up our own 3) we need to pay attention to his torah, his statutes, and his ordinances given to all mankind for all time which he gave our forefathers in the wilderness by Moshe when they came out of Egypt:
Deu 4:44 This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:
Deu 4:45 these are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel, when they came forth out of Egypt…
Have we truly left Egypt-in body, soul, spirit? If not, we’d better get on it, because there will certainly be more beatings from its king, and our King is getting ready to put before us a second Exodus as scripture indicates. Get ready saints!
I love eSword. I love to compare the scriptures. I propose the following list of Psalm 119:71 scriptures lest we forget this in the year to come. They say repetition is a great tool for learning and at my age I need it:
Psa 119:71
(AMP) It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.
(BBE) It is good for me to have been through trouble; so that I might come to the knowledge of your rules.
(CEV) When you corrected me, it did me good because it taught me to study your laws.
(CJB) It is for my good that I have been humbled; it was so that I would learn your laws.
(DRB) It is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy justifications.
(GNB) My punishment was good for me, because it made me learn your commands.
(GW) It was good that I had to suffer in order to learn your laws.
(KJV) It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
(LB) The punishment you gave me was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. They are more valuable to me than millions in silver and gold!
(LITV) For my good it was for me that I was afflicted, to learn Your Statutes.
(MKJV) It is good for me that I have been afflicted, so that I might learn Your Precepts.
(NAB-A) It was good for me to be afflicted, in order to learn your laws.
(NAS+) It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
(NBLH) Bueno es para mí ser afligido, Para que aprenda Tus estatutos.
(NCV) It was good for me to suffer so I would learn your demands.
(NET) It was good for me to suffer,
so that I might learn your statutes.
(NIrV) It was good for me to suffer. That’s what helped me to understand your orders.
(NIV) It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
(NJB) It was good for me that I had to suffer, the better to learn your judgements.
(NKJV) It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
(NLT) My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your decrees.
(NWT) It is good for me that I have been afflicted, In order that I may learn your regulations.
(TNIV) It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
(The Scriptures 1998+) It was good for me that I was afflicted, That I might learn Your laws.
(Webster) It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
(YLT) Good for me that I have been afflicted, That I might learn Thy statutes.
Oh, that we would (shema) hear and obey!
Deu 4:6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Thanks again, Kurt for this labor of love!
Thank you for that Irene. God bless you and Mike this Christmas and in all of 2014! You are a treasure.