How can we be sure God is really working all things for our good? How can we be sure God will keep his promises he has made to believers regarding our future destiny? How can we be certain that through our suffering God "is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Cor 4:17)? What assurance do we have that these things are true? These are the questions the apostle Paul deals with in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5.