Psalm 119:69-72

"The proud have forged a lie against me, But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. he law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver." Psalm 119:69-72

"I've learned that it doesn't cost anything to be nice." Age 66 "I've learned that most of the things I worry about never happen." Age 64 "I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up." Age 13 "I've learned that lying in the green grass of an empty field makes you feel so good." Age 14

The above quotes are from a book titled, The Complete Live and Learn and Pass It On. Last year I did a series titled, "I have Learned..." so I thought I would make my own contributions to the vast world of knowledge... as though that was something new! Of course I must make my contributions on the basis of the Word of God, so here goes. I've learned that troubles are not always from the devil. The psalmist tells us that it was good for him to be afflicted. He must have been a sadistic character! At least by today's "Christian" standards that must be true.

Most of us have been taught that trouble comes as a result of sin. If turmoil comes our way, we ask, "What have I done now?" If trouble afflicts us with some disease, we wonder, "Why me?" Worse yet are those who listen to our problems and pray for our healing, then when the healing doesn't come, they tell us that our "faith wasn't strong enough!"

I've learned that this is rubbish. David learned God's statutes. The Hebrew word used here gives the picture of a Word of God that is inscribed in stone. I suppose that would indicate the Ten Commandments that were literally carved in the stone by the finger of God. But then again, many things God speaks to us are every bit as "etched in stone" as were those ten laws.

David's trials taught him far more than the "Thou shalt not's." He had been taught them from the time of his birth. David learned patience in his conflict with Saul. He learned respect for authority, same conflict. He learned to lead in a righteous manner. He learned that sin costs, and it costs dearly. He lost his first son with Bathsheba. Later, when he counted the people against God's expressed command, he found that it cost the lives of many of his subjects. David did indeed learn God's statutes, sometimes the hard way, translated "trouble."

But not all of David's troubles were self-inflicted. He certainly did not deserve the treatment he received from Saul! Still David learned God's words. Our troubles are equally valuable to learning God's statutes. I've learned that instead of asking, "Why me?" I should ask, "What is God wanting me to learn from this?" Amen and Amen.