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: GREATER THAN DELIVERANCE. How do we pray when suffering, affliction, pain, and intense trials come into our lives? The majority of us might pray like the Apostle Paul in today’s scripture. He prayed to have his “thorn in the flesh” removed. He prayed for deliverance. The scripture reads, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me” (2 Corinthians 12:8). I can imagine Paul crying out to the Lord, “Lord, please take this pain away. I will be able to serve You better without this thorn in my flesh. I beg You, Lord. Deliver me.” Ever pray like that? A desperation-type prayer of deliverance instead of a development-type of prayer for learning.
How did the Lord answer Paul’s plea for deliverance? We might be quick to say, “He told him no.” Did the Lord do that? Go ahead and read today’s scripture again. Did you find the Lord telling Him, “No, I won’t answer your prayer, Paul?” Yes, the no is implied but not stated. This distinction is important.
The Apostle Paul did not get his prayer for deliverance answered. He received something far more important than deliverance. He received the personal experience of God’s sustaining and empowering grace. The pain was not removed. The suffering did not vanish. But what did change was Paul. He went from pleading for deliverance to being content without deliverance.
In living for the Lord, we will have some form of a thorn in the flesh given to us. There will be burdens and afflictions God will not remove. Don’t complain instead realize He has something far better for us – Himself and His amazing grace!
PRAYER: Father, help me be more focused on what I am to learn in suffering, not just to be delivered from suffering.
REFLECTION: In all suffering, our prayer is to be, “Not my will, but Your will be done” and do so with glad submission.