Jacob is hip

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 27:6, that wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses, and there is no better friend than God. He loves us with a fierce love that we can't even fathom but, in his grace, he allows us to appreciate. 

In Hebrews 12: 7 - 11, we read: 

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.....God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Again, it's so true, but it's so hard to see when you're going through challenges. We think the opposite of this. What do we think when a friend wounds us? We think they aren't our friend. And what do we think when we're struggling or suffering? We think God has abandoned us. But the opposite is true.