Some suffering in the life of the believer is for the purpose of instruction. Through suffering we learn about our God and faith. This type of suffering reveals more and more of who we are in Jesus and what He has done for us. Simply put, this type of suffering matures us as believers in Christ.
Sometimes God removes the storms in our life and at other times He allows the storm to rage while holding us close to Himself. It is during these "storms" that we learn of the faithfulness, character, love and power of our God. Jesus wants us to know these things and uses suffering for this end! Our faith is "proven" or demonstrated for what it is during these difficult times, resulting in a deeper faith which enables our life to bring greater praise, glory and honor to God.
James
