Afflictions

 

 

According to Webster, “affliction” means: “The cause of continued pain of body or mind, as sickness, losses, calamity, adversity, persecution.” It speaks of a vexed spirit and, figuratively of female rivals who aggressively seek the affection of the same man.
 

We have all found ourselves in positions of extreme distress at times and wonder how we arrived at such a place. It seems to be of little consolation to hear supportive counsel – even from the Scriptures.

Suggestions such as: “The sun shines on the good and the evil,” or, “The rain falls on the good and the bad,” do not quite quell the pangs of our affliction.
 

There are times when we are in distress and have no idea why. We attend church regularly, pray often, and read our Bibles religiously. Our courage wilts and fades as we slump into the throes of our despair. We cry out “Why me, Lord?” But, is that not the point? Should we not continually be crying out to the Lord?
 

An old time gospel song entitled, “Where Could I Go But to the Lord?” brings us face-to-face with the reality of the presence of God and of the attitude we should have. When in deepest despair, where else can we turn?
 

It matters little how we got there. It only matters what we do when we arrive at such a dismal place.

Our Lord addressed His disciples after a miserable failure in their attempts at casting out a specifically troublesome demon. He said, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9.29) Prayer and fasting is not an exercise we plan and accomplish. It suggests, rather, that a person’s soul is so overcome by a situation that he has no appetite – the stress of the affliction overcomes his personal desires and drives him to the Throne of Grace.
 

Even though Jonah’s affliction was self-inflicted, he was in despair. He resorted to Scripture – Jonah 2 is filled with Scripture. He recognized his position – hopeless. He recognized his only hope – the Lord. For all practical purposes, he was a dead man. “Out of the belly of hell cried I.”
 

Had Jonah been allowed to escape and flee to Tarshish, he would never have learned a valuable lesson: prayer is not what we do as habit, but the place to which we turn when there is no other place to go. Jonah was forced to admit his desperate situation. He was more concerned about the seaweed around his neck than a steak in his belly. He became more concerned about following God’s directions than about his personal safety.
 

Jonah was brought to the end of his rope – to a place of prayer and fasting – to a place where he had no other place to turn.
 

Although God was watching, He did not answer Jonah in his desires to leave the ministry; however, when Jonah was afflicted, God heard his cry and answered his prayer.
 

I know that God hears all our prayers, but He is especially concerned with our cries of pain. “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” (Psalm 55.17)
 

Affliction and deep despair are some of God’s ways of getting our attention so we will pray rather than say prayers. It is His way of bringing us close so we can experience His tender love expressed through His everlasting arms of support.
 

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” (Deuteronomy 33.27)
 

Our rescue may not be in a form we would expect or prefer, but God will deliver when we cry unto Him.