Samuel Rutherford the 17^th century Scottish minister and theologian saw his wife and four of his five young children die through illness in the space of a few years.   His response of faith in the face of suffering and loss,

“this loss … divine wisdom devised it and divine love laid it on.”

We won’t be able to respond to suffering with such faith until we understand something of God’s purposes in the trials he brings us.  That’s why this list of 36 purposes of God in our suffering by Paul Tautges ought to prove helpful.