Paying attention?

I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. (Psalm 119:67, 71 NLT)

None of us enjoys suffering unless we are a little bit of a martyr. We want it to end or never have had it begin in the first place. We don't enjoy our own suffering, but we might not know how to get away from the thing that is making us suffer so deeply. That is where the Word of God can bring us insight. As we read, we might come to a passage that points out God's direction for us, knowing we should embrace what it says, stepping out to lay hold of that instruction. Sometimes we lack the 'umph' to move toward obedience even when we clearly comprehend the thing we should be doing that would set us free from that suffering caused by our sin. That's when we turn to God and cry out - knowing without his help, we will continue to wander off.

Following God's word 'closely' might not be a 'consistent' thing with us yet. Sometimes we are hot and at other times we grow a little cool in our pursuit of 'complete obedience'. It is like riding a 'spiritual rollercoaster', isn't it? The moment we realize we are entering into a little bit of suffering, we may not always equate it with something God is trying to show us, but we want to be relieved of the suffering, don't we? If the period of turmoil continues in our lives, we might want to ask if there is something we are doing that is causing it. It could be that God is looking for us to turn away from something we have been in pursuit of that wasn't a wise choice, or that he is simply drawing us into a time when we will grow deeper in our dependence upon him.

Do we always have to be 'at fault' when suffering comes our way? No, it could be that the suffering we are experiencing is the result of the actions of another and we are reaping the consequences of those actions. As an example, the price of groceries and gasoline may be making it more than hard for ends to meet financially, leading to us making adjustments in our spending. Some will say they are even having to forgo things they have planned to do. The actions of others are impacting your present sense of 'ease' or 'comfort'. Whether the 'suffering' is a result of our own actions, or those of others, the same things apply. We go to God, ask for his insight, studying his Word intently, then respond in obedience to whatever it is he reveals. If he asks for our repentance, we respond with a contrite heart. If he shows us how to stretch our dollar so we will navigate the financial 'resource pool' well, we respond to his insight.

Regardless of the source, suffering is always a means by which we learn to pay better attention to his words and promptings in our lives. If we grow deeper in those seasons, all is well. If we move into despair and grow colder in our pursuit of Jesus, we might find the season will be riddled with all kinds of things we never wanted to navigate. I think I'd rather pay the best attention I can to his Word and respond in obedience. How about you? Just askin...