Afflictions conform God’s precious people to Christ their Head. In the moment, it might seem to us as if trials produce more sin in our lives. We rebel, complain, murmur, and distrust the Lord. However, if we go back to the picture of the fiery furnace, we can put it like George Whitefield once said: “Afflictions don’t bring the dross; they reveal the dross.” Through trials, God brings our sins to the surface to expose them and separate them from us.
— Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes