Is afliction good?*

Psalms 119:71 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." Palms 119: 67 "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." This is something I saw in my life early on. I developed a relationship with GOD and things were really going good when I was younger, in the late 1970s. I got a really good job at the Busy B. After a few years I found myself disgruntled with things and eventually stayed out of the church. I saw what I thought were good Christians not doing some basic things and I developed a bad attitude towards fellow Christians. Then there was a downturn at the Busy B. I got laid off. It was hard to find another job that paid as good as Busy B. I went thru a really dark time of my life. I can now say it was good that I was afflicted, it turned me around, back to a relationship with GOD. I have tried to never forget again how good GOD has been to me. That doesn't mean I haven't failed since then, I just have not stayed away from church like I did at that time. Sometimes when I talk about my experiences and what I think the scripture means to me, I worry about it being offensive to someone else. I have heard people say and I read some very opinionated people. I don't worry about GOD's word not being true. I worry about me going on a bunny trail that may not be GOD's thinking. For instance, we have Seventh Day Christians that feel it is absolutely necessary to worship on Saturday. Others do not feel that way and worship on Sunday. Both groups use the Bible as their basis for their belief. the same Bible I might add. I once attended a church as I was growing up that believed they were the true and only church. All other Christians would someday become a part of them, as GOD gathered in one all his children. I researched this a while back and they claim this has never been an official teaching of their denomination. I am not making this up, I know I was taught that. I remember Dad taking us to visit relatives, and we would stay at relatives homes and on Sunday morning we would go to our denomination, the relatives we stayed with would go to theirs. Even as a child this did not feel right to me. I felt we should have gone with the relatives to their Church. Maybe the exclusiveness was more from home, but I still think I remember being taught this exclusiveness. No matter, the point is my beliefs have changed somewhat as I have grown older. I still read the same Bible, I still pray to the same GOD. So I have learned to try and apply this Bible to my life, share what I can and still try to be understanding when others may not see totally eye to eye with me. It is, after all, a personal relationship with GOD we are trying to achieve and promote. May I grow in grace and be more like my heavenly father as I try to apply his word to my life. May I be merciful as he is merciful to me. May I forgive as he has forgiven me. May I love others as he has loved me. Yes, it has been good that I was afflicted, I think it helped me to think differently. I have at times gone back and deleted many posts because after reading them later I thought they could be offensive to someone. These are my thoughts, may they not be offensive to anyone, but may I simply help someone to try GOD as I have and find it has been the best thing I have ever done. God Bless LVZ.