GOD’S GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR PROBLEMS

SCRIPTURE:

“Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times, I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 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 about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2Corinthians 12:6—10)

OBSERVATION:

            Paul was very careful of drawing attention to himself because of a great revelation that he had of the third heaven.  Paul did not want people to think more of than they are warranted by what he says or does or because of great surpassing revelations that he had.  It is natural for people to boast about great revelations and visions or dreams.  People boast about great achievements and accomplishments.  It gives them a sense of recognition and privilege in the minds of people who admires them.

            So chose to refrain from boasting about all that gives a wrong sense of who he is by what he says and does because of his surpassingly great revelations.  Therefore, in order to keep him from becoming conceited, he was given a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment him.  No one knows for sure what the “thorn” was, but a thorn is something uncomfortable and prickly.  Every time Paul feels drawn back to boast and become proud of his surpassing great revelation, the thorn pricked him and humbled him.

            The thorn becomes a weakness for Paul. The thorn does not allow him to be proud or feel conceited.  The thorn is a messenger from Satan, and it was there to torment Paul.  Paul beseech the Lord to take it away three times, but the Lord said, ‘MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. 

            Without the torment of the thorn in Paul’s life, he would not have sensed a need for the power of Christ in him.  Paul would not have known how powerful the keeping grace of God, even in difficult times, was without the tormenting thorn in his flesh.  Some speculate that Paul’s thorn was his eye problem, others were his hunchback issue, but whatever the thorn was, Paul was assured by the Lord that he would be sustained under his grace. 

            No thorny problems in our lives will render the grace of God insufficient and unable to strengthen us through it.  God’s grace is greater than our thorns.  God’s grace and power are sufficient for whatever thorns Satan uses to torment us.  The power of God’s grace is greater than the power of Satan’s tormenting thorn. 

Like Paul, we must not focus on the power of the tormenting thorns and problems in our lives but on the power of Christ that rests on us.  Whether you have one or many thorns, God’s grace and power in our Lord Jesus Christ is more than enough to sustain and empower us.

APPLICATION:

            I choose to rest in the power of Christ that rests on me daily whenever I face difficulties in my life.  It is easy to gaze at problems and enlarge their power over me.  But today as I am reminded that Christ’s grace and power are more than all the thorny issues I will ever encounter in life.  I am reminded as well that God does not necessarily remove difficulties but allows them to work in my life for my good.  I choose God’s grace over my own strength to cover me in all that I face in life.

PRAYER:

            Jesus in your great wisdom, you allow thorns in my life to teach me who you are and how powerful your grace is.  I am grateful that your grace is always available in my time of need.  Help me not to depend on my own strength but to acknowledge your grace in my life daily.  Teach me how to walk with you in humility.  Help me keep my eyes on you and not on my own strength.  I need you daily Lord in my life.  I ask for your sufficient grace to accompany me on my daily journey with you.  Amen!