In times of suffering or adversity, we are prone to question God’s purpose for allowing those inopportune events. We may feel our lives should be packed with pleasant experiences and wonder what “good” God will bring out of our situation or when the “abundant life” the Bible promises will return. In his book Suffering: Eternity Makes a Difference, author Paul Tripp (cited by Stephen Viars in Putting Your Past in Its Place) astutely observes: “. . . too often we view the purposes and promises of the gospel in terms of our personal happiness. We forget that the gospel is more about the coming of Christ’s kingdom than our individual enjoyment. . . He is changing our heart- how we live and what fruit we bear. His focus is eternal and spiritual.”