The season of suffering is definable but only to God. The goal for us is to trust Him through that season because He has the best for us in His heart. He knows everything about us, even the very number of hairs on our heads. He also knows the length of the suffering. Through this suffering we learn some very important things.  One thing we learn is He delivers us. The psalmist put it this way in Psalm 18:3, "I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."   Paul said that we should glory in tribulations in Romans 5:3-5, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." We don't glory for the tribulation's sake, itself, but rather because the tribulation brings forth something that is a beautiful thing such as a deeper knowledge of God. The fact is, I wouldn't know that God is a deliverer except for the fact I needed deliverance. I would not know He is a very present help in the time of need except I have needs in my life. I wouldn't know He is my Healer except I needed healing. The reason to glory is because we get to see another side of God. The reason to glory is because He said, I'll never leave you, nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). The reason to glory is because He said I'm the Lord that heals you (Exodus 15:26). The reason to glory is learning and having revelation as to what HE said He is. For this reason, knowing that HE sees what we are going through and it is not a surprise to Him, then we are more apt to endure. The season of suffering has a starting point and an ending point. Making it through that season is endurance.  Endurance is a word that takes patience and persistence and marries them beautifully together in sweet accord. Peter said in 1 Peter 5:10, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. James said this about patience in James 1:3-4, "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."   The complete work is a completed faith in God, and trust in the LORD, being thankful for all things.  We must be thankful not just when things are going good, but also when things aren't necessarily going well.  The answer is JESUS.  We must praise Him because He is Worthy even when this world doesn't treat us the way we think it should or when things are going badly. JESUS is still worthy to be praised. The ultimate goal is to be rooted, grounded, and established in the Word of God. That should be the mark in which we strive for. Whether you have been a Christian for less than a year or for 50 years the ultimate thing is to know JESUS!!!!