“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  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.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV.

Have you ever petition the Lord for help but the problem remains? Maybe God is telling you something that may be difficult for you to hear. Maybe the unwanted situation is for your good. Maybe He has already answered your prayer. Maybe He is blessing you with graceful pain.

Graceful pain is what Paul learned to accept for his sake. The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically what the pain was, except that it negatively impacted his flesh. He asked God three different times to remove it. But instead of removing it, God informed Him that it was for Paul’s benefit. From this crutch, Paul would live in humility rather than give conceit room to grow.

God is no respecter of persons. If He blessed Paul with the means to enjoy life through graceful pain, who are we do be any different? Our pain may be physical, mental, emotional, financial, or social. No matter the area, maybe God is revealing Himself to us through these unwanted means. Maybe He is growing us more effectively as we lean on Him. Maybe as we realize our weakness, we also see His power and strength at work in us.

So, if we have petitioned our Lord at least three different times without the answer we desire, maybe we need to see the benefits of our situation from His perspective. Maybe the trials we are currently traveling through are His mercies in disguise. Maybe living without graceful pain would be more harmful for us at this season of life than not. Maybe this period of pain is God’s blessing for us to see how strong we actually are in Him.

Paul boasted of his weaknesses. Maybe we need to do the same.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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