The presence of suffering in our world has long been a stumbling block to would-be believers. We may look at it as senseless and unjust, or even as a sign of failure and defeat. Yet, in the Bible we see that God can use suffering for sacred purposes. Christ came to bear a cross as Savior to the world (Mark 8:31). Paul teaches us to “rejoice in our sufferings” (Rom.5:3) not because they are good in themselves, but because God uses them to strengthen our eternal hope.