A Spectacle Of Glory #45

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:6-9

Many of us identify very closely with the apostle Paul’s tormenting thorn in the flesh described in today’s Scripture. We don’t know what Paul’s thorn might have been, but we do know that even though he pleaded with Jesus to remove it, the thorn remained. What do we learn from this? For all the many times Paul was distressed by his weakness, he had the supporting grace of Christ. He kept saying over and over, “God’s grace is sufficient for me.” In fact, divine power finds its full scope and strength only in human weakness.

Both exasperating frailty and great power existed simultaneously in Paul’s life. That’s because grace always, always meets us at our point of pain! No matter what our need, though it be as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon, His grace will forever be enough to get us through.

Thank You, Father, for giving us a way to navigate the sometimes difficult pathways through this temporary, broken world. I think of Paul’s words: “We are puzzled, but never in despair . . . persecuted, but we never have to stand it alone: we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!”^a I may walk in pain, but I also walk in grace.