“I was given a thorn in the flesh—a nagging nuisance of Satan, a messenger to plague me! I begged the Lord three times to liberate me from its anguish; and finally He said to me, “My grace is enough to cover and sustain you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” So ask me about my thorn, inquire about my weaknesses, and I will gladly go on and on—I would rather stake my claim in these and have the power of the Anointed One at home within me. I am at peace and even take pleasure in any weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and afflictions for the sake of the Anointed because when I am at my weakest, He makes me strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, The Voice)
Many people are familiar with the term “thorn in the flesh,” but they don’t know that it comes from the Bible. People who do know it have been speculating for centuries on exactly what kind of ailment the Apostle Paul was suffering.
I think he intentionally didn’t specify it because his focus was not on his ailment, but on the grace of God. It was obviously more than a simple inconvenience or frustration. “I begged the Lord three times to liberate me from its anguish” seems pretty significant.
A friend I have not seen in over 30 years requested prayer on Facebook this morning. He posted publicly, so I am not violating a confidence. He mentioned that his faith was being tested beyond anything he could imagine. That sounds like a journey that desperately needs to intersect with God’s more-than-sufficient grace.
Most of us either have been there or will be. All of us know someone who is there now. The message that “His grace is sufficient” rings hollow until we experience the sufficiency of His grace up close and personal.
Question: How can we move beyond words to help someone find the intersection of their brokenness and His grace?
Leave a comment below. Everyone who reads it will benefit from your insight.
