“…we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4. Everything that happens in our lives, whether good or bad, can be used of the Lord to make known His will and the magnitude of His grace. This is truly encouraging, for all of us would like to believe that the many failures of our past are not without meaning.  In today’s Scripture we see the importance of experience and what it produces when God’s love fills our hearts.  The painful consequences of our sins are often irreversible.  But if we profit from them, rededicating ourselves to God, He brings hope for the future out of all our experiences.  One reason the school of experience is so tough is because you get the test first and the lesson later.