The psalmist prayed, “Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word” (Psa. 119:65). At first we might think he was thankful that God had blessed him with an easy life-but not so. In verse 71 he says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes.”
The psalmist apparently had gone through what has been
called, “the school of hard knocks.” While we seek to avoid
the pains in life, we need to learn that if our heart seeks
the Lord we can learn from our painful experiences. When
troubles come, we have the choice of facing them with
bitter-ness or with assurance that “all things work together
for good to them that love God…” (Romans
8:28). To learn in the “school of hard knocks”
we may take comfort in God’s word and submit to Him and His
will.
Are there difficulties in your life? Have you learned to
turn them over to the Lord? Are you seeking strength in
prayer and in His word? Have you let the Lord be your
Teacher in the “school of hard knocks”?