When it comes to suffering and pain, none of us are immune, and that pain so often seems

pointless, but in fact, pain in our lives is not pointless.

So what does our suffering produce?

What is it doing in our lives?

John Piper addressed this question in his 2013 sermon, The Glory of God in the Site of

Eternity.

He addressed 2 Corinthians 4 verses 16 to 18, and I'll read it to orient us in this episode.

So we do not lose heart.

Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond

all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen,

for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Here's John Piper.

Let's tell you, I was talking to a woman the other day about this issue who struggles

with assurance in her life, and I said, you know God designed your heart to experience

the sweetness of assurance by what you focus on with your head.

And she looked at me like, where's that?

Where's that?

And I went here.

It's not like that sounded new to her.

Where's that?

I thought, that's all the Bible is.

...