561_Seeing the faithfulness of God even in our afflictions (Psalm 119:73-80)

Psalm 119:73-80 Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.

There’s a story told about a silversmith who was once asked how he knew when the silver was pure. He smiled and said, “Oh, that’s simple. I keep the silver in the hottest part of the fire and watch it carefully. When I can see my reflection in it, I know it’s ready.”

That’s a striking picture of how God works with us in our afflictions. He is not a careless observer of our pain; He is a loving Refiner. The heat of our trials is never meant to destroy us, but to purify us until His image is reflected in us. That truth lies at the heart of Psalm 119:73–80 — where the psalmist sees the faithfulness of God even in the midst of suffering.

The psalmist begins with these words: “Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” Here we see a man who celebrates the fact that God is his Maker — that his life has design and purpose. He doesn’t view himself as a random product of time and chance. He knows he is fearfully and wonderfully made, fashioned by the Creator’s own hands. And because God created him, he seeks understanding to live according to God’s will. He wants to learn the commandments of God, not merely as rules to obey, but as the pathway to fulfilling the purpose for which he was made.

That is a powerful thought for us in our modern world. We live in an age that often denies a Creator altogether. When people reject the idea that God made them, they also lose the sense of accountability and purpose that flows from that truth. If life is an accident, then morality becomes a matter of opinion, and suffering has no meaning. But when we know that we are fashioned by the hand of God, we begin to see that every season of life — even our afflictions — has purpose in His design. The psalmist understood something that many today forget: our Maker not only formed our bodies, but He also ordained our paths, shaping even our trials for our good.

In verse 74 he says, “May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.” He longs for his life to be a source of encouragement to others who fear the Lord. His testimony of hope and endurance would make fellow believers glad, because they would see in him the steadfastness that comes from trusting God’s Word. Isn’t that what every child of God should desire — that others might find renewed faith by seeing how we trust God in hard times? The psalmist’s hope was not in changing circumstances, but in the unchanging Word of God. And that quiet confidence became a light to others walking the same road of faith.

Then comes the verse that lies at the heart of this passage — “I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” What a profound confession! It is one thing to believe that God’s laws are righteous when life is going smoothly; it is quite another to say, “In faithfulness you have afflicted me.” The psalmist is not being poetic here — he is declaring a hard-earned conviction. He believes that even his suffering is not a sign of God’s neglect, but of His faithfulness.

That truth is not easy for us to accept. None of us welcomes affliction. Our natural instinct is to escape pain, to question God’s goodness when the fire grows hot. But the psalmist has learned to see beyond appearances. His understanding of God’s Word gives him a deeper, godly perspective. He realizes that affliction can be the faithful work of a loving God — not to destroy, but to discipline, refine, and transform. It’s as if he is saying, “Lord, You are too faithful to let me remain as I am. The fire is painful, but it is proof that You are still at work in me.”

To see God’s faithfulness in affliction requires deep trust. It means resting on the unchanging nature of God. The psalmist’s faith is not built on feelings but on the conviction that God is immutable — the same yesterday, today, and forever. Because He is faithful, everything He allows in our lives — even the painful things — is designed for our sanctification. He is shaping us into the image of His Son.

Then the psalmist prays, “May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.” In affliction, comfort is not the removal of pain but the presence of divine strength. God’s love does not necessarily take away the trial, but it carries us through it. His promises are the steady ground beneath our trembling feet. The psalmist does not look for comfort in worldly distractions or temporary relief, but in the unfailing love of God — love that never changes, never fails, and never lets go.

He continues, “Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.” Here, he moves from love to compassion — from God’s steadfast covenant love to His tender mercy. Compassion is not just pity; it is love that takes action. When Jesus walked among men, the Gospels often say, “He was moved with compassion.” He didn’t merely feel sorry for people; He stepped into their pain. He healed, fed, and forgave. Ultimately, He gave His life for the sheep. That same compassion the psalmist longs for — the active mercy that revives the soul — is what sustains believers even today.

Affliction can make us feel lifeless, weary, or numb. But when God’s compassion touches us, life returns to our spirit. We can say with the psalmist, “Your law is my delight.” Even in sorrow, God’s Word becomes our joy, because it reminds us that He has not abandoned us.

Then the psalmist turns his attention to those around him: “May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause, but I will meditate on your precepts.” He had been wronged by proud and deceitful people, but he does not take vengeance. Instead, he entrusts his cause to God and keeps his heart fixed on the Word. That is another mark of true faith — refusing to let bitterness or anger rule us when we are mistreated. Affliction tests not only our endurance but also our humility. The proud may seem to triumph for a while, but the psalmist knows that God’s justice will prevail.

Then he prays, “May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.” He finds his fellowship not among the proud or the faithless, but among those who revere God’s Word. True unity is found among those who fear the Lord. Psalm 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” When believers are united by a shared reverence for God and His truth, their fellowship becomes a source of great strength. They are not distracted by personal praise or insult; their focus is to please the Lord.

Finally, the psalmist concludes, “May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.” His desire is simple and sincere — to live an obedient, unashamed life before God. He knows that shame is the fruit of disobedience, but peace is the reward of loving God’s law. Earlier in Psalm 119:165 he declares, “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” That is the peace of a life firmly anchored in the Word and character of God.

When we see life as the psalmist did, everything falls into perspective. Affliction is not a sign that God has failed us, but that He is faithfully refining us. We are not victims of random events; we are the work of divine hands, fashioned for a purpose. God’s Word gives meaning to our suffering and direction to our journey. Even when we cannot trace His hand, we can trust His heart.

C. H. Spurgeon once said, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” That captures the spirit of Psalm 119:75 — learning to see God’s faithfulness even in the wave that hurts. The storms that push us toward Christ are, in truth, expressions of His faithfulness.

So, when affliction comes — and it surely will — may we not be quick to despair. Instead, let us pause and ask, “Lord, what are You shaping in me through this?” The God who created us is still forming us, just as the potter shapes clay on the wheel. The process may involve pressure, spinning, and heat, but His hands never leave us. His purpose is always love, His goal always holiness.

Let us then trust Him in our afflictions. Let us take comfort in His unfailing love, draw strength from His compassion, and find joy in His Word. For one day, when the refining is complete, we shall reflect His image perfectly — and we will see, with wonder, that through it all, He was faithful.