{"id":611,"date":"2026-06-30T17:13:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T17:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/?post_type=cg_article&p=611"},"modified":"2026-08-25T16:58:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T16:58:35","slug":"before-i-was-afflicted-i-went-astray-but-now-i-keep-thy-word","status":"publish","type":"cg_article","link":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/article\/before-i-was-afflicted-i-went-astray-but-now-i-keep-thy-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Thy word."},"content":{"rendered":"

Psalm 119:67<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Thy statutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 119:71<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 119:75<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is my comfort in my affliction, That Thy word has revived me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 119:50<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After spending some time with Psalm 119 as a whole, I\u2019d like to return to this psalm and focus our attention particularly on how this psalmist understood and dealt with his afflictions. We always seem to be more inclined to listen to counsel from someone \u201cwho has been there\u201d or experienced the same thing or trial that we\u2019re going through and survived, and maybe even come out stronger.  They can speak with a level of authority and credibility that others just don\u2019t possess. Certainly the counsel of the soldier coming out of the battle, carries more weight than those who haven\u2019t even put their armor on yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If indeed this Psalmist is David, we have before us the counsel of a battle-weathered soldier. One who has experienced both victories and defeats, and yet has been sustained by the Lord and the power of His grace. From this section, what would he have us to know and understand? I\u2019d like to advance a few initial observations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I.  A sovereign God is behind his afflictions.<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore I was<\/em> afflicted\u201d(vs 67).  He sees his afflictions as something that was given or applied to him from God, and indeed he confirms this notion in vs 75 \u2013 \u201c\u2026 in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me.\u201d  In his understanding, the afflictions and trials that he\u2019s experiencing are not random, unfortunate acts; but rather intentional, sovereignly tailored trials both for him personally, as well as for multitudes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly he knows this from the revelation of God\u2019s word that he had available to him. He could recall the examples of God\u2019s dealing with Joseph & Job personally,1<\/sup> as well as how God dealt with the Moses and the nation of Israel as a whole. 2  <\/sup>And certainly the rest of the Scriptures as they were given would fill out and support this understanding. 3<\/sup> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

II. His afflictions are given to him by God for his good.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is good for me that I was afflicted\u2026\u201d(vs 71).  Good in what sense? <\/em>How were they good for him?  Well he tells us, vs 67 \u201cBefore I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Thy word.\u201d And again in vs 71 \u201cIt is good for me<\/em> that I was afflicted, That I may learn Thy statutes.\u201d These afflictions that God has given to him were good for him because they were used as a vehicle, a corrective measure of sorts to teach him to obey Gods law and not \u201cgo astray\u201d from it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is certainly not a novel idea in Scripture\u2026\u201cafflictions for our good.<\/em>\u201d In fact, there are so many ways in which our afflictions are good <\/em>for us, that I think it would be helpful to refresh our memory of a few of them at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Afflictions that are corrective.<\/em> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly this first one is what the Psalmist sites for us. \u201cBefore I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Thy word.\u201d God gave him these afflictions that he would no longer go astray, but actually learn to keep His word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeremiah recalls Ephraim grieving as that tribe bares witness to this corrective work of God upon them; \u201cI have surely heard Ephraim grieving, \u2018Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For Thou art the LORD my God.  \u2018For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh; I was ashamed, and also humiliated, Because I bore the reproach of my youth.\u2019 (Jer 31:18,19)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We could also recall Jeremiahs words in Lamentations 3:27 \u2013 \u201cThe LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. 26 It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. 27 It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone and be silent since He has laid it on him. 29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, Perhaps there is hope. 30 Let him give his cheek to the smiter; Let him be filled with reproach. 31 For the Lord will not reject forever, 32 For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness\u201d (Lam 3:27-32).  He then goes on to site through to vs 40, that the Lord doesn\u2019t \u201cafflict willingly\u201d(vs 33), but through all the various ways He chooses to afflict man, it is for our restorative good<\/em>; that we may \u201cexamine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The writers of Scripture saw the corrective work of God in the lives of His people as a good<\/em> thing (Ps 94:12), and not something that was to be despised (Job 5:17,18) or rejected (Prov 3:11,12). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Afflictions that cultivate the work of the God in our lives here on earth.<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul speaks about \u201cexulting in our tribulations\u201d (Rom 5:3), because they \u201cbring about perseverance\u201d (which is a gift of God \u2013 Rom 15:6), and \u201cproven character, and a hope that does not disappoint\u201d(Rom 5:4). James would highlight the same thing (Jam 1:2-4). Did Jesus not tell us in John 15 that \u201cevery branch (in Him) that bears fruit, (His father) prunes it, that it may bear more fruit\u201d<\/em>(vs 2)? Is this not a good but painful process? \u201cAll discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness\u201d (Heb 12:11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider also Pauls \u201cthorn in the flesh\u201d in 2 Corinthians 12. Was this not assigned to Paul for his good? Indeed it was, and he saw it that way (vs 7-12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Afflictions that bring about an eternal weight of glory for us in the future.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4 that these \u201cmomentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison\u201d (vs 17). Peter says the same thing\u2026 \u201cIn this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ\u201d (1 Pet 1:6,7). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As does James \u201cBlessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him\u201d (Jam 1:12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As does Jesus\u2026 \u201c\u201dBlessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. \u2013 \u201cBlessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. \u2013 \u201cRejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you\u201d(Matt 5:10-12; Luke 6:22,23).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus Paul can confidently state in Romans 8:28 \u201cAnd we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God<\/em>, to those who are called according to His purpose.\u201d Everything. Even the bad things (which are indeed bad in an earthly sense), God uses to bring about glorious ends for His children both here on earth now, and in heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one writer put it\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur afflictions are the prescription of an infinitely wise physician.\u201d<\/em>4 <\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What other observations can we draw out from these texts in Psalm 119?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

III. God is just, and that in faithfulness God has afflicted him.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me\u201d(vs 75).  How prone are we to accuse God of being unjust in the courtroom of our own assessment when we see injustices in this world. This the psalmist wants to make clear that in light of his appointed affliction from God for his good, \u201cGod is just, and that in faithfulness God has afflicted him.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As another writer has penned\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJudge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.\u201d<\/em>5<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The faithfulness of our heavenly Father\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faith when you are reproved by Him. 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives. 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good,<\/em> that we may share His holiness\u201d (Heb 12:5-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me\u201d(vs 75).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the wounds of a friend are faithful (Prov 27:6), how much more are those of our Heavenly Father?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IV.  In the midst of his afflictions, he has been revived by the truths from Gods word.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is my comfort in my affliction, That Thy word has revived me (vs 50).\u201d  Revived by the truths of Gods word. The truths of who God is and what He has promised for those who trust in Him. The \u201ctestimonies\u201d and examples of His faithfulness to His elect, and the power of His outstretched arm to deliver them from all obstacles and challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul says\u2026 \u201cTherefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying (the afflictions of vs 8-11) yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.<\/em>\u201d Q: How is God doing the renewing work? Paul tells us in vs 18\u2026 \u201cwhile we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.\u201d  What things is he referring to? Promised glory to come (2 Cor 5:1-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re looking to the coming of promised glory, and it\u2019s our faith (which is a gift of the Holy Spirit in us), in these absolute promises of God that we are being renewed by day by day.  In light of what\u2019s in store for us, these \u201cmomentary, light afflictions\u201d are to be counted as nothing in comparison. In fact he says in Romans 8:18\u2026\u201cFor I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We look to the things which are \u201cunseen\u201d and \u201ceternal,\u201d to the irrevocable promises and power of God in the hearts of His saints through the finished work of Christ. This is what Paul prays for all of us to continue to cling to and embrace, and be \u201cstrengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man\u201d(Eph 3:14-21). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In closing, and in light of this passage from Psalm 119, I\u2019m reminded of the situation that Christian<\/em> and Hopeful<\/em> found themselves in when they had chosen to go out of the Way,<\/em> and take an easier path through By Path Meadow<\/em>. Unfortunately for them, this \u201ceasier\u201d path led them to Doughting Castle, <\/em>which was owned by Giant Despair <\/em>and they soon found themselves imprisoned an a stinking dungeon for many days, being regularly beaten and starved, awaiting their deaths at the hand of the giant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, after a night of earnest prayer (and we pick up the narrative), \u201ca little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, broke out into this earnest speech: \u201cWhat a fool,\u201d said he, \u201cam I to lie in a foul-smelling dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom called Promise<\/em>, that will, I am sure, open any lock in Doubting Castle.\u201d Then said Hopeful, \u201cThat is good news, good brother: pluck it out of thy bosom, and try.\u201d Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the dungeon door, whose bolt, as he turned the key, gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outward door that leads into the castle-yard, and with his key opened that door also. After, he went to the iron gate, for that must be opened too; but that lock went exceedingly hard, yet the key did open it.\u201d6<\/sup>  And the pilgrims then make their way back to the Kings Highway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Key of Promise is indeed that which both frees us from the depths of despair, and renews us in the inner man day by day. It is the promise that by faith in the finished work and person of Jesus Christ, we have been justified before God, and finally have peace with Him (Rom 5:1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, \u201call of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him\u201d (Isa 53:6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God\u2019s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was the raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, \u201cFor Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.\u201d37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.\u201d (Rom 8:31-39)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Praise be to God that \u201cHe (has) delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom ofHis beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.\u201d (Col 1:13,14). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Gen 37-50; Job 1:21; 2:10<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Exo 1-20; Num 11-14; 20-25; Deut 1-3; 27-32; Josh1-11; Jer 52; Ps 105 & 106 for a summary<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Job 2:10; Lam 3:37,38;\u00a0 1 Sam 2:6,7; Isa 45:7; Jer 32:42; Eccles 7:13,14<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Believed to be a John Piper quote<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. William Cowper \u2013 \u201cGod moves in a mysterious way\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. John Bunyan \u2013 \u201cThe Pilgrim\u2019s Progress\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Psalm 119:67 \u201cIt is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Thy statutes.\u201d Psalm 119:71 \u201cI know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me.\u201d Psalm 119:75 \u201cThis is my comfort in my affliction, That Thy word has revived me.\u201d Psalm 119:50 After spending […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","cg_article_author":[126],"cg_article_topic":[],"cg_article_category":[],"cg_article_level":[],"class_list":["post-611","cg_article","type-cg_article","status-publish","hentry","cg_article_author-johnpeyton"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cg_article\/611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cg_article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cg_article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=611"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cg_article\/611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":612,"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cg_article\/611\/revisions\/612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cg_article_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cg_article_author?post=611"},{"taxonomy":"cg_article_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cg_article_topic?post=611"},{"taxonomy":"cg_article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cg_article_category?post=611"},{"taxonomy":"cg_article_level","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnpeyton.online\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cg_article_level?post=611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}