EARLY OR LATE MATURATION?

February 24

Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Foolishness in a child’s heart has decreed that he will disobey, turn away from yours and God’s Word, until someday he realizes that his parents were right about certain things, and God was right about all things. This phenomenal metamorphosis in attitude rarely happens without sprained muscles, scratches, losses, broken bones as well as broken hearts. It is pathetic, but sometimes it is not until the crippling death-call of old age that we finally come, not to our senses, but to Godly sense, realizing that things could and should have been different. The only comfort at that time is the abundant mercy of God which proclaims that: “all things work together for good to them that love God.” (Romans 8:28)

How many burns, hurts, breaks, losses and afflictions have to happen before we finally grow, mature and learn to keep His Words? How many times does He have to lay us flat on our backs before we learn to say “Abba, Father” and agree to keep His Words? Having been promised a land under the conditions of obedience (Leveticus 26), the children of Israel offer before us an excellent sample of what happens when we walk in disobedience outside the tower of His protection: we loose the blessing of the presence of His protection, strength, supply and perfect peace in our hearts when in the midst of the onslaughts of the destroyer.

May God help us today to see the “handwriting on the wall” (Daniel 5:5, 27) warning us, telling us that we are ‘wanting’ in obedience and dedication to His Word. May He help us to see in our affliction how we have gone astray in both deed oand spirit. May He help us learn to keep His word. May we learn not only from our affliction, but also, when touched with empathy, learn from the afflictions of others.

A wise man learns by his experience, but a wiser man learns by the experiences of others.

Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;