Glorying in our distresses is not what we asked for but....
“MY Grace is Sufficient for Thee” 2 Corin. 12:9
Of all the books next to the Bible the most read is ,? . If you guessed Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, then you are right. He has several things that speak to us and one is Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
“I
returned to my old fears again, but with a great
deal of grudging and peevishness, for I feared
the sorrow of despair; ‘nor could my faith now
longer retain this word.’
- 190. But the next day, at evening, being
under many fears, I went to seek the Lord; and
as I prayed, I cried, ‘and my soul cried’ to him
in these words, with strong cries:--O Lord, I
beseech thee, show me that thou hast loved me
with everlasting love (Jer 31:3). I had no sooner
said it but, with sweetness, this returned upon
me, as an echo or sounding again, “I have loved
thee with an everlasting love.” Now I went to
bed at quiet; also, when I awaked the next
morning, it was fresh upon my soul—’and I
believed it”
If we were honest we would say we too have experienced this in our own lives. God’s love /grace is free but we often disbelieve it is for us. So we wander along the paths of our lives in doubt, in despair and often cry out, “ God , show me your will and love.”
Today’s thoughts come from 2 Corinthians 12 where the Apostle Paul is tossed about with his feelings of not being “ exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations”. 12:7 It is certainly possible to get to this point too in our own lives when somehow we think we have arrived and do not have to thank God any longer for His grace and love shown to us . So it says that in Paul’s life, “ there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” 12:8
We do not know what this thorn or literally “stake” was. It may have been a physical problem such as epilepsy . Many of the reformers thought it was a spiritual affliction and not physical at all. Whatever it was it was something the Apostle did not want in his life.
Now we can identify with that. None of us are perfect. We have not yet arrived. So God places things in our lives and in our own bodies to give us a sense of His Sovereign love for us. You know what I am talking about. It may be a physical thing. We never asked for it. But somehow we got a pain that would not go away. There does not seem to be any healing for us.
The Apostle felt the same way that we feel. He asked God to take it away. 12:8 “ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.” Three times he asked God to take away the pain. But God did not do that. Instead He said something so wonderful and so deep that we must hear today in our own lives and in our own Christian lives today as well.
“ And He said unto me, ‘ My grace is sufficient for thee” 12:9 That is certainly not what he asked for. There are those of us today who have asked God the same thing . We wish this problem or this difficulty to go away that we may rejoice in His love. We wish to share that love with others but without the thorn going away we think we are not loved by God. We think we are unable to do what He asks because things do not seem to be going our way, and we think less of ourselves for it. How could God use me if I am not what I should be? How can God use such an imperfect person with all my faults, problems, and difficulties?
Then the answer comes to Paul again. In the difficulties and problems He says He will use us. Do you and I hear that? “ I asked the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. “ The Lord said unto me, “ MY GRACE is sufficient for thee.” He will not always take away the problems and the difficulties and the ailments. In them He uses us. “ For my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 12:9 So whatever we are struggling with or doubting ourselves for, God will take these things and use them in our lives.
The Lord wishes to take these things and have our attitude about them change. So the Apostle says, “ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” He concludes , “ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 12:10 When I am weak, I am strong. I will do what God asks me because it is what He wants even though it is not easy, even though I do not feel like it. I will do what God wants in my life because if I do that, I am not glorying in myself , but in Christ.
Do you and I know that despite what happens to us from our perspective ( when all seems dark) that God is still there and is still directing our paths? Today we may ask God take away the thorns but He wants us to know whatever happens now and in the future, “ My grace is enough. It is sufficient for you.” And that is all we need.
Of all the books next to the Bible the most read is ,? . If you guessed Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, then you are right. He has several things that speak to us and one is Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
“I
returned to my old fears again, but with a great
deal of grudging and peevishness, for I feared
the sorrow of despair; ‘nor could my faith now
longer retain this word.’
- 190. But the next day, at evening, being
under many fears, I went to seek the Lord; and
as I prayed, I cried, ‘and my soul cried’ to him
in these words, with strong cries:--O Lord, I
beseech thee, show me that thou hast loved me
with everlasting love (Jer 31:3). I had no sooner
said it but, with sweetness, this returned upon
me, as an echo or sounding again, “I have loved
thee with an everlasting love.” Now I went to
bed at quiet; also, when I awaked the next
morning, it was fresh upon my soul—’and I
believed it”
If we were honest we would say we too have experienced this in our own lives. God’s love /grace is free but we often disbelieve it is for us. So we wander along the paths of our lives in doubt, in despair and often cry out, “ God , show me your will and love.”
Today’s thoughts come from 2 Corinthians 12 where the Apostle Paul is tossed about with his feelings of not being “ exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations”. 12:7 It is certainly possible to get to this point too in our own lives when somehow we think we have arrived and do not have to thank God any longer for His grace and love shown to us . So it says that in Paul’s life, “ there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” 12:8
We do not know what this thorn or literally “stake” was. It may have been a physical problem such as epilepsy . Many of the reformers thought it was a spiritual affliction and not physical at all. Whatever it was it was something the Apostle did not want in his life.
Now we can identify with that. None of us are perfect. We have not yet arrived. So God places things in our lives and in our own bodies to give us a sense of His Sovereign love for us. You know what I am talking about. It may be a physical thing. We never asked for it. But somehow we got a pain that would not go away. There does not seem to be any healing for us.
The Apostle felt the same way that we feel. He asked God to take it away. 12:8 “ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.” Three times he asked God to take away the pain. But God did not do that. Instead He said something so wonderful and so deep that we must hear today in our own lives and in our own Christian lives today as well.
“ And He said unto me, ‘ My grace is sufficient for thee” 12:9 That is certainly not what he asked for. There are those of us today who have asked God the same thing . We wish this problem or this difficulty to go away that we may rejoice in His love. We wish to share that love with others but without the thorn going away we think we are not loved by God. We think we are unable to do what He asks because things do not seem to be going our way, and we think less of ourselves for it. How could God use me if I am not what I should be? How can God use such an imperfect person with all my faults, problems, and difficulties?
Then the answer comes to Paul again. In the difficulties and problems He says He will use us. Do you and I hear that? “ I asked the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. “ The Lord said unto me, “ MY GRACE is sufficient for thee.” He will not always take away the problems and the difficulties and the ailments. In them He uses us. “ For my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 12:9 So whatever we are struggling with or doubting ourselves for, God will take these things and use them in our lives.
The Lord wishes to take these things and have our attitude about them change. So the Apostle says, “ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” He concludes , “ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 12:10 When I am weak, I am strong. I will do what God asks me because it is what He wants even though it is not easy, even though I do not feel like it. I will do what God wants in my life because if I do that, I am not glorying in myself , but in Christ.
Do you and I know that despite what happens to us from our perspective ( when all seems dark) that God is still there and is still directing our paths? Today we may ask God take away the thorns but He wants us to know whatever happens now and in the future, “ My grace is enough. It is sufficient for you.” And that is all we need.
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