but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

"Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, LORD, and teach out of your Law;

for whom the LORD loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.

For he is not predisposed to bring affliction or suffering to the children of men.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, "For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter." read more. No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is wearing away, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; read more. while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. read more. He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which he promised to those who love him.