“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
In his prior letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul came down hard on some wayward things occurring in the Corinthian church. In response, some of Paul’s critics criticized and poked fun at him (see 10:10). Part of Paul’s rebuttal is recorded in chapter 12. There, instead of boasting about himself, Paul boasted on behalf of another. “I know a man who fourteen years ago,” he said, “that was caught up” to heaven and heard “inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak” (verse 4). Paul was speaking of himself, only in the third person. The revelations given to Paul were so incredible, so magnificent, that Paul was given a thorn in the flesh, “a messenger of Satan,” as he called it, to buffet him and keep him humble (12:7). Much speculation has occurred over the years as to what that thorn was, but one thing was for sure. Dealing with it was very difficult. Paul “implored” (“begged” NLT) the Lord three times that it might be removed. The answer was not what he hoped for. Paul wanted the thorn removed, but Jesus said instead, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” The messenger of Satan would continue to knock Paul around, but Christ’s grace would help him cope, and in the process, Christ’s power would become stronger in Paul. After that encounter, it appears that Paul became content with difficulties in general. He wrote, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).
We may not have a thorn in the flesh to deal with as Paul did, but we do struggle with weaknesses and difficulties. Despite earnest prayer, some things God simply does not remove from our lives. Those things are meant to keep us humble and wholly dependent on his grace and power. God’s power is perfected in our weaknesses as we trust him to do so. God’s grace is sufficient to carry us through any situation.
Pastor John
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