The book of Numbers contains a sad example of wasted afflictions. The five daughters of a man called Zelophehad approached Moses, asking for a share in the possession of the Promised Land. They told Moses, “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons” (Numbers 27:3, NKJV). These women were saying, “When all the others rose up against you with Korah, our father wasn’t one of them. He wasn’t in rebellion. He died in his own sin.”
The phrase “He died in his own sin” struck me as I read it. This meant that although their father had seen incredible miracles like the deliverance out of Egypt, water flowing from a rock and manna coming from heaven, he died in unbelief with the rest of his generation.
These five daughters were born in the wilderness and grew up in a family hardened against God. All of Israel’s trials produced unbelief in their father, and these young women probably heard constant murmuring and bitterness. There was never a word of faith or trust in God. These women had to tell Moses, “Our father left us with nothing, no hope, possessions or testimony. He spent those forty years whining and in bitterness because life was hard. He died in sin; his life was a waste.”
What a horrible thing to have to say of a parent, yet I must warn all parents reading this: Your children are watching you as you endure afflictions. Your reactions and behavior will influence them for life. How are you behaving? Are you wasting your affliction, not only for yourself but for the generations that follow? I hope your heirs are being established in Christ as they hear you say, “I don’t like this affliction, but blessed be the name of the Lord.”
I know many Christians who become more bitter with every new affliction. The very afflictions meant to train them, trials designed by God to reveal his faithfulness, have instead turned them into habitual complainers. Where is their faith and trust in the Lord? What must their children think?
Beloved, don’t waste your afflictions. Let them produce in you the sweet aroma of trust and faith in the Lord.