The Grace To Keep Going

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NKJV And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When you listen to someone speak, what gives his or her words weight? How do you decide to listen to what’s being said? Most often, we measure a person's message against his or her experience, dismissing words that don’t match the speaker’s story.

Therefore, when we come to the apostle Paul’s discussion of God’s sufficiency, we ask, “Is this something Paul can really talk about?” And we are able to read the Word and see that the answer is a resounding yes.

Paul’s personal testimony recounts some of the hardships that confronted him (2 Cor. 11:22-28). He was imprisoned, beaten, threatened, stoned, ship-wrecked, robbed, and chased throughout his entire ministry. On top of all this, he had a persistent, unrelenting “thorn” oppressing his body (2 Cor. 12:7-8).

You’d think that God would keep His best servants in perfect condition and optimal health. Yet, here we see that although Paul prayed for relief, God’s answer was not what he expected. Rather than receiving a grand, sweeping cure, Paul was given a deeper answer: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9).

Through that difficulty, God taught Paul a vital lesson: It does not matter how weak we think we are, or how oppressed or downtrodden. In God’s hands, our weakness makes room for His strength. And it is through His power—and His power alone—that we can do amazing things.

Perhaps you struggle with your own “thorn.” If so, instead of praying for a quick fix, ask God what He wants to accomplish through your weakness. Your human frailty just may be the vessel through which God can display His unlimited power to the world.

Credit: NKJV - Charles Stanley - In Touch - HS