Tribulations

We advance toward humility by means of trials. He who rests on his virtue without suffering tribulation has the door of pride open before him. -- St. Isaac of Syria, Homily 57, in Ascetical Homilies, p. 283, 7th century

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God's glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God's wrath. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. - Romans 5:1-11(NET)

God Is With Us

Joseph faced many tribulations. He was sold into slavery. He was falsely accused. He was thrown into prison. And yet in all this we are told that God was with him. Many times people pray to be delivered from their tribulations, and when they are not, they assume that their prayers are not answered. But Jesus only promised that if we prayed, that we would receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 11), not that we would receive everything that we asked for. God gives us that which is spiritually profitable for us, not what we want. Indeed, it would be a terrible world to live in if we were given everything we asked for by God, as if prayer were some sort of magical incantation.