You’ve heard it before—probably said it yourself.

“God is good.”

We nod, smile, maybe add a hearty “all the time.” And most of the time, we mean it.

But what about when the road gets rocky? When the doctor’s voice tightens? When the numbers on the bank statement shrivel and the prayers feel like echoes in a canyon?

The psalmist knew that valley well. In Psalm 119:65–72, he opens the door to a vulnerable place. A place we’ve all been. He says:

“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” (v.67)

Affliction has a way of calling us home, doesn’t it?

Sometimes, God wraps His best gifts in rough paper. Not because He’s cruel. Not because He’s careless. But because He knows the medicine our hearts need.

Affliction straightens what ease once bent. Pain can bring clarity. Trials have a way of thinning out distractions and spotlighting what truly matters. It’s in the tension that we often find truth.

And what does the psalmist discover on the other side of his storm?

“Thou art good, and doest good.” (v.68)
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” (v.71)

Good. That’s the word he keeps coming back to. Not just in theory, not just when the skies are blue—but even in the affliction. Especially in the affliction.

He sees something we often miss: God is not just doing good things. God is good.

And because of that, everything He allows, even the hard things, carries purpose. Carries hope. Carries Him.

Then the psalmist finishes with a truth so rich, you can almost feel the weight of it:

“The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” (v.72)

Better than gold? Better than a fresh start or an easy way out? Yes. Because when the storm passes, and the clouds lift, and we wipe the tears from our cheeks, what remains isn’t the wealth we hoped for — but the Word that held us.

Friend, if you find yourself in the classroom of suffering today, take heart. You’re not being punished. You’re being taught. Your Teacher is kind. Your lesson is life-giving. And the reward? Far richer than gold.

So hold on to that Word. Let it hold on to you. One day soon, you’ll echo the psalmist:

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted.”

And you’ll say it not with gritted teeth, but with grateful hands—lifting up the rough paper to find a gift from the very heart of God.