The Sufficiency of God's Grace
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 (NLT)
So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Reflection
In this passage Paul is writing to the church in Corinth about a specific issue that he faced. He called this his “thorn in the flesh” (verse 7). No one is quite sure what Paul’s ailment was, but it was something that hindered him for the entirety of his ministry.
I’m sure at one point in your life, you’ve faced a situation that felt like a thorn in your flesh. Maybe it was a broken relationship, a negative health report, a bad work environment. Whatever it was, it tore you down and made you feel broken.
You may have taken this brokenness to God and asked Him to take it from you, to replace it with joy and love and life. Scripture tells us to bring our troubles to Him. But what happens when our prayers aren’t answered? What happens when it feels like God shuts down any sliver of hope we have?
There have been several situations in my life that I have diligently prayed for. I’ve prayed for some of these situations for months, and for other situations, I’ve prayed for years. And yet they remain unanswered prayers. At times it feels like my desires have been forgotten, like I’m too broken to be healed.
But we know that this isn’t true. God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want Him to. Sometimes He answers prayers by closing doors and opening new ones. Sometimes He answers prayers by moving miraculously. But sometimes He doesn’t answer at all. Sometimes we sit in the waiting season for longer than we would like.
In these moments, instead of running from God, we must run to God. He is waiting! He wants to wrap us in His arms and show us His love and grace! When we go through seasons we don’t understand, we must rest in the grace of God. We don’t deserve a loving God, yet we have one. We must trust His promises, despite the pain we may feel, for it’s when we’re weak that we are made strong (verse 10).
Action Steps
What have you been praying diligently for that has yet to be answered? Spend some time today lifting that situation up to God and sitting in His love and grace.
Prayer
God, You know my hurts. I am broken and want to be whole again. Heal my heart. Heal my body. And in all things, remind me of Your love and grace. In Your name I pray. Amen.
So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Reflection
In this passage Paul is writing to the church in Corinth about a specific issue that he faced. He called this his “thorn in the flesh” (verse 7). No one is quite sure what Paul’s ailment was, but it was something that hindered him for the entirety of his ministry.
I’m sure at one point in your life, you’ve faced a situation that felt like a thorn in your flesh. Maybe it was a broken relationship, a negative health report, a bad work environment. Whatever it was, it tore you down and made you feel broken.
You may have taken this brokenness to God and asked Him to take it from you, to replace it with joy and love and life. Scripture tells us to bring our troubles to Him. But what happens when our prayers aren’t answered? What happens when it feels like God shuts down any sliver of hope we have?
There have been several situations in my life that I have diligently prayed for. I’ve prayed for some of these situations for months, and for other situations, I’ve prayed for years. And yet they remain unanswered prayers. At times it feels like my desires have been forgotten, like I’m too broken to be healed.
But we know that this isn’t true. God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want Him to. Sometimes He answers prayers by closing doors and opening new ones. Sometimes He answers prayers by moving miraculously. But sometimes He doesn’t answer at all. Sometimes we sit in the waiting season for longer than we would like.
In these moments, instead of running from God, we must run to God. He is waiting! He wants to wrap us in His arms and show us His love and grace! When we go through seasons we don’t understand, we must rest in the grace of God. We don’t deserve a loving God, yet we have one. We must trust His promises, despite the pain we may feel, for it’s when we’re weak that we are made strong (verse 10).
Action Steps
What have you been praying diligently for that has yet to be answered? Spend some time today lifting that situation up to God and sitting in His love and grace.
Prayer
God, You know my hurts. I am broken and want to be whole again. Heal my heart. Heal my body. And in all things, remind me of Your love and grace. In Your name I pray. Amen.
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