Last night, my husband Kenya and I were sitting in our bedroom talking to our 17-year-old son Kedar. During an informal little chat about sports, college, and other random topics our teen brought up, Kedar shared a memory.

“When I was little and learning to read, Daddy would stop at a sign on the street and tell me to read it,” recounted Kedar. “It didn’t matter how long it took me. Daddy would stay there until I figured it out.”

“Yep, sure did,” Kenya confirmed. “I’d pull over and sit there.”

“Wow,” I said. “That’s pretty creative. I didn’t know you did that.”

I’m not sure if I didn’t ever know about it or if it’s just one of the memories that didn’t survive last year’s brain trauma. Either way, I thought it was cool.

“But I didn’t like that,” Kedar explained. “If it took five or ten minutes for me to figure out what the word was, Daddy would just wait.”

As Kedar stressed his dislike for that method of literacy training, Kenya replied, “It worked, didn’t it?”

“Yes,” Kedar conceded, adding again, “But I didn’t like it.”

Both Kenya and I chuckled and moved on to another topic. But after the conversation ended, I thought about something I wanted to share. Just like Kedar’s natural father took him through a process that was effective but uncomfortable, our Heavenly Father does the same thing. He trains us, teaches us, and guides us down pathways we don’t always like. Yet, His methods, like them or not, are always effective.

Psalm 119:71 says, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” The word afflicted in this passage is a Hebrew word, anah (pronounced aw-naw'), meaning to oppress, humble, be bowed down, to be depressed, be downcast, to deal hardly with, to chasten.

So this psalmist is saying it was beneficial to be brought low, oppressed, and to be down for a season. In that low place, in the valley, during a time of uncomfortable affliction, learning and growth happened. Interestingly, the same Hebrew word, anah, is used in Exodus 1:12 which is a passage describing the enslaved Israelites’ poor treatment under the heavy hand of their Egyptian slave masters. It says, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.”

The more the Egyptians afflicted, oppressed, beat down and dealt harshly with the Israelites, the more they multiplied and grew. That’s because God was with them, and His purpose was on them.

Friend, when the Lord is with you, and His purpose is on you, God won’t let the affliction destroy you. He’ll cause it to work for you. And that’s good news for you today, because you are called, chosen and anointed by the Lord. And while you may be uncomfortable in your affliction, God is taking what the enemy used to destroy you and blessing you, multiplying you, increasing you, strengthening you, elevating you, and favoring you instead. After this is over, you’ll be so much better, and you will also say, “It was good for me that I was afflicted.”

2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, thank God for this season, even if it’s painful and unpleasant, because it’s working for you.

Now, let’s pray.

God, thank You for this trial, this affliction, this valley, this storm, this test. It doesn’t feel good to me, but I know it’s good for me, and You will get glory out of this. I praise You and declare by faith that I will step out of this season better and more blessed than ever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!