God is aware that your greatest treasure is your relationship with Him, and He would do anything to sustain it. Instead, He would discipline you by allowing some painful experience to come your way rather than enable you to be carried away by something fleeting. Therefore, affliction should turn you to God and not drive you away from Him. Apostle Paul refers to some misfortune he and his team encountered, which human effort could not withstand. This affliction drew them close to death, but in their despair, they cried to God, who raises even the dead, and He delivered them from the deadly peril. It caused them to set their hopes on God and believe He would deliver them from any future affliction.
“Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your Word” (Ps 119:67). The Psalmist affirms that he went astray, but affliction made him keep the Word of God. No person can live independently of God. Those who try to do so soon realise that it doesn’t work. “Now in my prosperity, I said, ‘I shall never be moved’” (Ps 30:6). King David writes that he would never be moved in his affluence, forgetting that it was the Lord’s favour that lifted him high and made him strong. Soon, he found himself in trouble and cried to the Lord, and God turned his mourning into dancing, loosened his sackcloth and clothed him with gladness (Ps 30:11).
The natural tendency to depend on ourselves is high, especially when we have success, prosperity, promotion, or victory. The most vulnerable moment in a person’s life is when they have just won a sweet victory or come by great success. God, knowing that pride would set in on such moments and cause them to fall, may allow affliction to come. For instance, God allowed a thorn to appear in his flesh to prevent Apostle Paul from surpassing the greatness of revelations he received.
Scriptures.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all (Ps 34:17-19).
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy of being compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom 8:18).
It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes (Ps 119:71).
