2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-10 – “I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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.”

THEME OF THE DAY: HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. Today’s scripture is the familiar account of the Apostle Paul’s trip to the third heaven, the place of God’s throne.  As much as we would love to know the details of his trip, we don’t have it. And Paul was forbidden to talk about it. To ensure he wouldn’t boast, God gave him a painful thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to silence his boasting.  We don’t know much about it except its pain in the apostle’s life as he pleaded for the Lord to remove it which He did not. Instead, we get these wonderful words and promise from the Lord . . .“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”.

Paul would learn, and so shall we, the all-sufficiency of God’s grace. But to get there, we need a couple of things in our hearts and minds about grace if we are to learn the lesson God has for us.

First, to know and experience the sufficiency of God’s grace, we must know and experience the futility of trusting in our always insufficient self.  Paul only knew God’s strength when he fully knew his own weaknesses.  Same with us.  And it is one thing to profess weakness, another thing to know it by failing in the strength of self.

Another truth about grace to know is that it works in us and for us all the time.  Even when we don’t “feel” grace, like the grace of God’s Presence.  Remember, we live by faith, not feelings.  We are saved by grace through faith. We live by faith through grace.  Don’t doubt the work of grace because we don’t sense the work of grace.

Amazing grace!  Yes, God’s grace certainly is amazing. It is also sufficient. Always. Trust it. The God of all grace will not fail us!

PRAYER: Father, I praise You that Your grace is sufficient for me and always at work in me.

REFLECTION: Grace works all the time, and especially so when we don’t feel grace at times.