Persevering in Affliction: Peace and Joy from God

"God gives peace and joy differently to different people. It's a function of affliction/faith. It goes something like this... If you have faith, there will be affliction. The more affliction you have, the more you question your faith. The more you question your faith, the more you have a chance to come to terms with God's sovereignty. Reasoning (knowing) that you serve an all powerful and all loving God--you understand your afflictions to be specific and intentional. Without knowing all that God knows, you determine (taken on faith) that these afflictions are going to somehow make you better.... like a refiner's fire, if you will. Granted, these afflictions are not what you would have chosen for yourself. However, the God of the Bible, who is all knowing and all loving has chosen them for you, so... your faith is strengthened and you achieve sufficient amounts of God's blessed peace and joy." ~ Mark Fee