One-minute read.
Sufficient Grace
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
God’s divine reply to Paul’s thorn in his side surprised the apostle. Instead of removing the thorn, the Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Accepting God’s answer, Paul boasted of his weakness because he gained the Lord’s strength through it. Would Paul depend on God as vehemently if he didn’t have the thorn? Probably not.
As a person who had two blood clots, I consider it a thorn in my side. On blood thinners for the rest of my life, I must constantly monitor what I eat and do so it doesn’t interact with my medication. As a result of my thorn, my relationship with Christ has deepened. I talk to God more, seek His direction in ways I never have, and rely on His grace to strengthen my weakness. I now understand what Paul meant when he said he would boast in his weakness more than I ever have.
We all have things in our life we wish we didn’t have. Thorns that cause weakness make us rely on God’s strength. Drawing closer to the Lord, we will experience sufficient grace for our trials. As Paul did, we can become content in our sufferings, knowing they glorify God. Boasting in our weaknesses illuminates the power of Jesus in our lives, our weaknesses made perfect in the Lord’s grace.
Application:
God gives us sufficient grace for our weaknesses.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for Your sufficient grace. As we accept the thorns in our flesh, help us relish in Your strength. Let us accept our weaknesses as an opportunity to glorify Your strength in us. Help us find contentment in the storm as we trust You, knowing You will give us the grace we need to survive
IJNIP. Amen
