Ancient Afflictions: The Plowman's Deep Furrows

The psalmist's testimony in Psalm 129:1 reveals three dimensions of suffering that mark the believer's journey. First, these afflictions possess antiquity—they reach back to youth itself, even to infancy and conception. Suffering is no stranger to the faithful; it arrives early and establishes itself as a persistent companion. Second, observe the frequency and iteration: "many a time." These are not isolated trials but repeated blows, more numerous than can be counted.…