One of those uncomfortable topics is the anger and wrath of God towards sin. We get uncomfortable when we discuss the plagues that God sent to Pharaoh during the time of the Exodus, or the Exile of Israel from the promised land to Babylonian captivity. When a doubting world asks about the Canaanite conquest, we become silent. We might get uncomfortable when we read about a man who knew no sin and yet he was suffering and ultimately was punished for crimes which he did not himself commit.

For the follower of Jesus hardship comes just as it does for the nonbeliever. Yet the believer is equipped to handle hardship in a way that is distinct from the nonbeliever. The believer has a hope and a plan even in the midst of hardship. The plan in hardship for the believer is the same as the plan in peace: follow Jesus.