John Piper:
And the point is not that the afflictions merely precede the glory; they help produce the glory. There is a real causal connection between how we endure hardship now and how much we will be able to enjoy the glory of God in the ages to come. Not one moment of patient pain is wasted. I do not lose heart . . . FOR all my troubles are producing for me an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
Check the rest out here.
Heh. I wonder if he’s ever spoken about fountainsides. Hmmm.
it’s worth a search!