The Junk Drawer: Stronger - Tuesday
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (NIV)
To fully understand today’s verse, it is important to understand the context leading up to it. Before this verse, Paul states that the Lord allowed, “a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me”. Not only that, but Paul “pleaded with the Lord to take it away.” Paul was a man who experienced some pretty terrible things, including but not limited to shipwrecks, floggings, and imprisonments. In this particular situation, we’re not told exactly what the thorn was that Paul was experiencing but for whatever reason, God chose not to take it away; rather, he chose to remind Paul that His grace was sufficient for Paul to endure his trials.
I’m not sure about you, but I can think of a few thorns I’ve had in my flesh over the years. To be honest, I can even think of a few thorns I have in my flesh right now. Like Paul, I’ve also pleaded many times before that God would remove them from my life. Sometimes He has but just as many times as He has, He also hasn’t. How comforting is it to know that God’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses though? The hardships, trials, pains, etc. that we experience serve a purpose and it’s reassuring to know that it is not dependent on our strength to endure them. For when we endure these things, and we lean into God’s grace, we allow Him to be strong when we can’t. When we walk through hard times, we need only to lean into God’s grace, for it is enough to get us through anything. That is true strength!
Tuesday’s Reflection
I love this song! It reminds me of the powerful truth we reflected on today!
