life

The Little Book of Hours has included readings from Psalm 119 every day for the past week, and Saturday’s portion blessed me. The writer says,

This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.
The insolent utterly deride me,
but I do not turn away from your law. (v. 50–51)

In the past, I read affliction as sickness or some other source of physical suffering. And it can certainly mean that. For most of us, though, we likely experience more pain and suffering in relationships, and relational issues–people problems–can suck the life out of us pretty quickly.

There’s a person at church that hurt me some time back, and I’ve prayed to deal with my feelings toward him. I’ve forgiven him–repeatedly (I should note that I sometimes have a hard time letting go). Every time I’m back to a place where I can be loving, he does something that hurts or angers me again (though I don’t think he even knows he does it most of the time). I’m learning to practice 70 times 7. Short of changing churches, I can’t avoid him, so I’m praying for the Spirit to show me how to deal with him, and the Spirit is faithfully doing that.

So here’s what I saw Saturday: in the midst of life-sucking problems, God’s promise can, as the NIV says, “restore my life.” Which promise, you ask? I’m not sure which one applies in my current situation (I’m still pondering that), but I took tremendous comfort in realizing that I don’t have to let people problems drain me. If–when–I focus on God’s promises, rather than the problem, I will find life.

I know that a major source of affliction for me is in my thinking: I tend to turn things over, replay conversations, imagine what I should have said, fantasize a confrontation, rehearse the whole catalog of offenses–you get the picture. I’ve realized over the past few years that some of this comes from me, but some of it is comes from the enemy, “the insolent” of this passage.

I like the way the NIV renders this: “the arrogant mock me without restraint.” Satan is a mocker: “you let her say that to you?” “Look what he did; it’s just like last time.” And we know that the enemy will work without restraint–if we let him. For me, when I can stop the flow of negative thoughts long enough to recognize that the enemy is working to steal my joy and my life, I’ve won half the battle.

Is there a situation that’s stealing the life from your living? Search God’s word for His promises, and find one that gives you life. And recognize that heeding the voice of the mockers only makes it worse. I’ll let you know what promise I find to help me with this people problem. Leave a comment and tell us which promise restores your life.

Tagged as: forgiveness, life, problems, Psalms, relationships, Satan, thinking