What Is Afflictions?
A state of being in pain; a persistent pain or distress or great suffering. They are something that makes one to suffer, grief or in misery. The question many have asked is: “Why do the righteous suffer or why do God allow the upright to suffer? Someone rightly said: “Human experience is vast and varied. Suffering and problems are considered universal experience, which vary from person to person, but everyone experiences it by varying degrees and types.” One among the various views states: “To instill in man a longing for eternity.”

Three Main Aspects Of Suffering
1. Suffering as a consequence of sin — Rom. 5:12, 1 Corinth 15:21.
The fall man in a broken world resulted to pains and problems. Understanding this aspect should help man drive to long for a better world, redeemed from sin, this world. God will one day establish for the redeemed of the Lord. Rom. 8:19-23.

2. Suffering as a tool for deep spiritual encounter.
Suffering can yield an inward focus, developing in a man a better personality.

3. Suffering as a true test of faith and servanthood.
Through a permitted suffering like in the case of job, the man of God become proven.

Through The Lessons We Can Learn The Following:
I. Sing through the flame
II. Sigh through the flame
III. Soaked through the flame
IV. Sow through the flame
V. Submit to god through the flame
VI. Supplicate through the flame

Reading through Psalm 66 and Lam 3:19-33
The word ‘make’ is closely in meaning with produce, bring into existence, cultivate, and bring up. Amid flames, there are qualities God wish we develop, cultivate, and bring into being.
One of those things is ‘joyful noise;’ ordinarily, noise is pollution. Noise pollution or sound pollution is producing sound with ranging impacts on the activities of human or animal life most of which are harmful to a degree. It can be said to be unwanted or excessive sound that can have damaging effects on human health, wildlife and environment qualify. But this ‘noise’ is referred to ‘joyful’ melodious, beautiful, healthy to the soul and able to connect you to your creator.

The content of the noise is seen in Psalm 66:2-8
• Through the greatness of your power shall your enemies (plural) submit.
It does not matter how large, numerous or populated our enemies might be, God through his power is able to subdue them all. All that God expects us to do is to get hold of that power through thanksgiving, and the enemies will willfully submit themselves to you, this is called effortless victory. Furthermore, we see in verse 9, God’s ability to hold our soul in life.

God knows that amid life are severe battles. Amid these battles, God is able to keep (take us out from the crowd) and carefully choose a place well built just for our safety. In God’s safe house and hiding place, he keeps our soul and will never let our feet to slip or slide. In verse 10, God proves His own. And may create and permit situations for our training and apprenticeship.

How God Does That:
Vs 11 – Allows afflictions
Vs 12 – Allows men to betray us, hurt us
– Allows us to go through fire and water – great or small
BUT,
Yet He brings us to a wealthy place; the secret of wealth entry is opened when we pass the test, we are promoted. Vs 13-16. Our promotion demands thanksgiving – vs 17-20.
We see that all the above is possible by the precious gift of prayer. When we appropriate the channel of prayer;
• God hears us
• God rewards it
• Only sin stops us from hearing from God and God from hearing us.
Psalm And Flames – understanding God’s perspective for afflictions.
God loves us. His love does not stop us from challenges. He allows us to experience the good, the bad and the ugly for our own good. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose – Rom. 8:28

Sing Through The Flame
Flames when approached with a positive mind set can trigger psalms.
We can gain sweet lessons for growth if we change our approach to life challenges. You may not change your challenge, but you can certainly change your approach and perspective.
Sometimes smiling through the pain confuses your enemies; when people fight you and you don’t respond; they try to make you cry only for them to notice that you are smiling they will be confused. Laughter sometimes is a weapon against the enemy. When the children of Israel made a shout of praise in their camp even in nothing their enemies became afraid.

Sigh Through The Flame
When you are down; the enemy would want to hold you down. Murmuring kills motivation. Complaint empowers the accuser. Sometimes argument does not win the fight, but saps you of energy.
Returning fire to fire does not mean good strategy; it could result to waste. The best attack in warfare is surprise attack; when people expect you to complain be quit, when they expect you to murmur sing praises; when they want you cry laugh. It is difficult, but not impossible. Rather than them hearing you shout of cry let them hear your joyful sounds.

Soaked Through The Flame
Life is a teacher. What we learn in affliction we may never learn in prosperity. If all was rosy, great men will not learn caution. What make a man great is the battles of life he has won and the hurdles he has crossed; no cross, no crown. Flames make us sweat. Every sweat is salty. Therefore, be still when amid flame, the Lord will show up.

Sow Through The Flame
• Life is about seed sowing, when faced with life challenges learn to sow.
• Love for your enemies, it heaps coals of fire on them
• Sow righteousness because two wrongs never make a right
• Sow hospitality for some have entertained angels unknowingly through this means. When we bless others, the blessing has a way of coming back to us. Whatever you give comes back to you.

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Author –  S. Wolemonwu