2 Corinthians 12:7-10 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
The Apostle Paul suffered many things thoughout his ministry: shipwrecks, perils, beatings, even being stoned and left for dead. Through all those trials he never seemed to complain or wished they never happened. However, there was one affliction that Paul experienced that he seemed to hate, the “thorn in the flesh.” The Bible doesn’t tell us what it was, only that it was a tool the Devil was using to buffet him and a tool God was using to humble him. Paul came up against something he couldn’t handle, so he asked God to remove it from his life.
Well, instead of removing the “thorn” God gave Paul the grace to endure the “thorn.” That’s when Paul came to the realization that the affliction he was suffering, was the source of God’s power in his life. He went from hating the “thorn” to embracing it!
Many times we miss out on the miracle that God is doing, while we ask Him to preform a miracle of our choosing. We beg the Lord to remove our trials from us and miss out on the grace and strength He gives to sustain us. We say we want God’s power in our life, yet when He sends it to us in a package we don’t like, we reject it and stamp on the package, “Return to Sender.”
When trials come, we need to ask God for His power, grace and strength, not for Him to remove them from us. There is a world of people watching us, to see if our God is real, we need to let His light shine through us by exhibiting the supernatural strength that He gives in our trials.
Live in the light of God’s power and strength, In Spite Of whatever the Devil may be using to buffet you today. Friends, family and co-workers are watching. Glory in your trials as God gives you strength.
Enjoy the day!