Trusting God in His providence through Suffering: (various quotes)

* " 'They do not push one another, everyone marches in his own column' Joel 2:8. The Events of history march as a victorious legion under a skillful leader. Do not think we can order our affairs in a better style. Our good, ill, joy and grief keep their place." Spurgeon

*2 Corinthians 4: 7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

*Romans 5: 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

* 'My suffering not only leads to greater life in those around me but in me' Timothy Keller (Be still my Soul, ed Nancy Guthrie, p 18)

*"Paul says that if Jesus can uncomplainingly submits to his infinite suffering and thereby have God's life explode into our lives and into the world, then you and I can submit to our finite suffering uncomplainingly and know the same thing will happen. Death in us will work life in us and the others around us, that is our hope." Timothy Keller (Be still my Soul, ed Nancy Guthrie, p20)

*Romans 8: 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

* "The evil that hurts us now will be the eventual servant of our joy and glory eternally"  Timothy Keller (Be still my Soul, ed Nancy Guthrie, p22)

*It is God's law that he who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop on the heart, and in our own and against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful providence of God." Reynold Price, Letter to a Man in a Fire.

*Philip Yancy quotes Dr Paul Brand as saying, "If I had one gift I could give the people who have leprosy, it would be the gift of pain. Thank God for pain." Phillip Yancy goes on to say, "By definition pain is unpleasant, so unpleasant as to force us to withdraw our finger from boiling water, lightening fast. Yet, it is that very quality that saves us from destruction. Unless the warning signal demands response, we might not heed to it. Just as physical pain is a early warning system to the brain, it is a warning system to our Soul."  (Be still my Soul, ed Nancy Guthrie, p 25)