No one knows better than Jesus that life is full of suffering. What does it mean to rejoice in our sufferings, or even grow from them? There is only one thing on which you can build your life and not be shaken – your love for him and his love for you.

In the midst of evil and suffering, abandoning your faith will neither help you handle suffering nor understand God. By looking back to Jesus’ death on the cross and looking ahead to the hope of a new heavens and new earth, we can understand God’s overwhelming love for us and the promise that victory will swallow up evil and death.