Blessings of suffering

Is suffering really a gift to Christians? Kirk Wellum makes a strong case that it is:

Generally speaking, Christians understand that faith is a gift of God. It is something that we exercise, God does not do it for us, but we only do so by his grace and mercy. If left to ourselves we would never believe, not because we are missing some kind of faith gene but because we are morally and spiritual averse to God unless he touches our minds and hearts.

But how many Christians have thought seriously about the fact that suffering is also a gift of his grace! Today in some circles grace equals blessing upon blessing, pressed down, shaken together... you know the rest! Some even say that if Abraham and the children of Israel were blessed materially in Old Testament times how much more should us kids of the King be blessed now that we share in a new and better covenant.

But all of this is to grossly misunderstand the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments. Material blessings may be gifts of God but they may also be God's way of testing us or preparing those who are disobedience for a fall from which they will not recover.

Suffering as a gift? Seems like I've heard that somewhere before.