ChancePoythress

Disasters and Suffering 47
for some instances of suffering. These passages can aid us by reminding us
that God can bring good out of suffering.
First, suffering can be used by God to produce godly character:
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character
produces hope, 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. (Rom. 5:3–5)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for
you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let
steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4; see 1 Pet. 4:1)
Second, suffering can increase our respect for God’s word:
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word. (Ps. 119:67)
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes. (v. 71)
I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. (v. 75)
Third, suffering can bring glory to God by showing the quality of our faith:
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have
been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your
faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—
may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation
of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 1:6–7; see 4:12–16)
Fourth, as we indicated, suffering gives us a fellowship in Christ’s sufferings,
and helps us to appreciate more deeply how he suffered for us (Phil.
3:10; 1 Pet. 2:19–24).
OTHER PASSAGES
The general principle about God’s control over disasters comes to expression
in other passages: