On the road this morning, heading to a conference where I get to hang out with some faithful shepherds and their families for a few days. A real privilege for this guy.

So, this morning before getting on the road again, sitting in a Starbucks working through my reading plan and a couple of verses in Psalm 119 get me chewing as I’m sipping my Americano

The insolent smear me with lies,
but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
their heart is unfeeling like fat,
but I delight in your law.
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.
The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

(Psalm 119:69-72 ESV)

Afflictions . . . faithfully from God (Ps. 119:75b) . . . ultimately for our good. True statement? I’m thinking . . .

God is the maker of well-being and the creator of calamity; He is the Lord who does both these things (Isa. 45:7). So, if I’ve got some stuff happening in and around my life, if there’s a storm a-brewing, I know where it came from (as an old Southern Gospel song put it, “I know the Master of the wind).

But the calamity creating God is a good God who does what He does and allows what He allows for our good. For our learning. For our training. All for our flourishing.

But not gonna happen if my heart is unfeeling like fat.

Unfeeling like fat . . . noodle on that a bit.

An inert lump. Dead to the spiritual dynamics surrounding and active in our physical difficulties. Unresponsive to the heaven-sourced power that wants to be in play through our personal problems. Eyes not set on things above (Col. 3:1-3), ears deaf to Jesus’ wooing, “Come to me, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

Just to be clear, I’m not inviting afflictions, just as soon let them pass me by. But if a good God is going to stir things up for my good growth, then keep me from unfeeling flat.

Rather, let me bow and confess as needed. Let me trust and turn to Him who has promised to be in the boat with me through the storm. Let me learn. Let me grow. Let me say with the songwriter, It is good for me that I was afflicted.

Only by His grace. Always for His glory.