“It’s difficult to know when God has been disciplining us until we look back on the situation later. Not every calamity comes directly from God, of course. But if we rebel against God and refuse to repent when God has identified some sin in our lives, He may use guilt, crises, or bad experiences to bring us back to Him." (Life Application Study Bible, Proverbs 3:11,12)
“Sometimes we enter a dark night of the soul, where God seems distant from us. This is only an illusion, for God is closer to us than our own breath. These times are allowed by God to bring us closer to Him, much as a loving mother stands her child on his feet, walks a few feet away holding out her arms, and waits for the child to take his first steps. She is ever ready to reach out and lift the child up should he start to fall, but she knows she must distance herself for a few moments if the child is going to learn to stand on his own two feet. We are like that.” (Abbot Tryphon)
“In the wilderness, we remember that God did not bring us out here in the desert to die. He brought us out to save us, to show us His power, to offer His comfort, and to put to death whatever is in us that is not of Him.” (Marlena Graves)
"For there are two things we must always be certain of: God loves us and He wills our salvation, always granting in our life those things that bring us closer to Him and to salvation." (Archimandrite Sergius)
“…God does indeed seek lost sinners in order to bring them to Himself…” (Foundation Study Bible, Psalms 119:176)