Afflicted and Anchored

“My troubles turned out all for the best

they forced me to learn from your textbook.

Truth from your mouth means more to me

 than striking it rich in a gold mine.”

 Psalm 119:71–72 (MSG)

Pain is rarely welcomed, yet the psalmist looks back and sees affliction as a blessing in disguise—a turning point that led him deeper into God’s Word. What felt like loss was actually God’s instruction. Walter Brueggemann describes this kind of verse as “a testimony of remembered pain” that leads to “transformative obedience.” Lament, for the psalmist, is not about wallowing in sorrow but about moving honestly through grief toward trust. Like James 1:2–4 teaches, trials are an opportunity for perseverance to finish its work, maturing us into people of resilient faith.

Eugene Peterson’s rendering of these verses in The Message captures the paradox of redemptive suffering: “My troubles turned out all for the best.” Not because pain is inherently good, but because it can push us toward what is. When everything else is stripped away, the truth of God’s Word shines with unmatched brilliance—“more than striking it rich in a gold mine.” In the refining fire of hardship, we discover the weight and worth of God’s promises. As 1 Peter 1:6–7 says, faith refined by fire is more precious than gold, resulting in praise, glory, and honor when Christ is revealed.

Affliction doesn’t just inscribe God’s Word on the pages of Scripture—it etches it onto the heart. The 17th-century bishop Lancelot Andrewes once prayed, “I offer to Thee, O Lord, my heart, as Thy dwelling place; may Thy law be graven therein.” In essence, he was saying: “Lord, I give You my heart—make it Your home. Write Your Word deep within me, so that my life reflects Your will.” Trials have a way of softening the soul, creating space for God’s truth to take root and flourish. His Word becomes not just information, but transformation—our greatest treasure and daily guide. And like the psalmist, we may one day look back and say—not in spite of our troubles, but through them—“That was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

Prayer:

Lord, when trouble comes, turn our eyes to You. Etch Your Word on our hearts, and help us treasure Your truth above all else. Amen.