Beside being preservative, I think we can see that pressure is educational. How do we learn God? We learn God through His handling of us. “Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.” That is how we learn God. Therefore, it seems that those of us who have been longest on the way, upon looking back, are prepared to say that the things which have been our definite blessing and which have done the most to mold us in the knowledge of God have been our trials. David-like, we can say, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted” (Psalm 119:71). “Before I was afflicted I went astray” (vs. 67). “I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me” (vs. 75). So it is of great blessing to the soul to be able to say of the things that come upon us, “Here is my education; God is educating me.” Take it up on that line.