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When some followers of Christ find themselves suffering, their immediate response is "Lord, deliver me from this, immediately!" He can and sometimes He does. But He often does not. When He does not, it may be because it is His will to grow spiritual character in the life of His follower.

Our clothing consists of hearts that are tender and filled with compassion displaying mercy; human-kindness that overflows to meet the needs of others; a humble preference to put others first; a meek, spirit-controlled temperament; and the willingness to go the distance with others without complaint-these are the new clothes.

…the Believer who is completing his course of suffering for Christ's sake is completing the process of ceasing from sin. In other words, suffering for Christ's sake transforms the Believer from sin-FULL to sin-LESS; suffering for Christ's sake perfects Believers.

Sometimes God chooses to let us walk through the storm so that we can learn that He will never leave us or let a situation be more than we can handle with His help. And sometimes He just plain steps in and fixes everything better than you could possibly have dreamed. Sometimes it happens in a moment, sometimes after years of patient waiting. We'll never see it if we don't let Him work, if we don't step back in faith and let God be God.