God has given suffering to His people so that they may manifest the greatness of His glory (Phil. 1:29, I Pet. 2:18-21). The world will never see it though if we as God’s people won’t accept the suffering that is put in our way as one of God’s gracious gifts to us. We must pray that God will strengthen us with might, through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we will be rooted and grounded in love; knowing the love of Christ, and filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:16-19). Only then will we be happy (blessed) if we are reproached for the name of Christ, because the Spirit of glory, and of God, will be resting upon us (I Pet. 4:14).

May the truth that we are His glory, His inheritance, stir up our love and obedience (Eph. 1:18). We are His chosen instruments to carry on His best and greatest work, against His worst and greatest enemies, in these last days (Psa. 78:61-62, Isa. 46:13, Gal. 6:16, Jn. 14:12). Shall we not see this as the greatest opportunity and privilege to try the truth, to apply it, to defend it, to strengthen it, to uphold it, and to improve it (Jude 3, II Tim, 2:15, Phil. 1:17, II Pet. 1:12, Phil. 2:16, III Jn. 3)? 

Afflictions are to teach us to hate sin, and die to it more; how to lessen our pride and increase humility; how to be more loving, more giving, more spiritual, more meek and quiet; how to walk with God more, to trample on the world more; how to die to self-interest more and live to Christ, lifting Him up to a lost world while longing to know more of Him. 

Afflictions will not produce these results in us unless we have a heart that desires to glorify God above all else. We must pray that the Spirit of God will work all this in us. "Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us" (Psa. 90:15-17). But, "Not unto us, Oh Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory because of Your mercy, because of Your truth" (Psa. 115:l).