January 8
The Answer We Need
“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9a
He didn’t take away the thorn. Paul prayed repeatedly to the Lord to remove the thorn from his flesh, but He never took it away. Paul did not conclude his words in 2 Corinthians 12 by saying, “And then the Lord took away the thorn.” Jesus did say that His grace was sufficient for Paul. Jesus did say that His strength was made perfect in weakness. But He never took away the thorn. Many things we face can be overcome. There are struggles and trials that can be avoided. Some things, however, cannot be easily overcome. There is no magic verse or super spiritual prayer to make it all better. Some struggles and trials cannot be avoided. There are, and will most certainly be, thorns that never get removed. We will face them on a regular basis. We will be reminded of their presence in our lives constantly. He will not remove the thorns. Yet just as He will not remove the thorns, neither will He remove His grace. He will not remove His strength that is perfected in our weakness. Some of these thorns will be with us always, but we will always be accompanied by the grace that is sufficient for us. We will be strengthened in every weakness. There are battles we will fight every day. There are challenges that will never leave us alone. There are struggles we cannot hide from. The thorn may not be going anywhere, but neither is His grace. That is truly the answer we need.
“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9a
He didn’t take away the thorn. Paul prayed repeatedly to the Lord to remove the thorn from his flesh, but He never took it away. Paul did not conclude his words in 2 Corinthians 12 by saying, “And then the Lord took away the thorn.” Jesus did say that His grace was sufficient for Paul. Jesus did say that His strength was made perfect in weakness. But He never took away the thorn. Many things we face can be overcome. There are struggles and trials that can be avoided. Some things, however, cannot be easily overcome. There is no magic verse or super spiritual prayer to make it all better. Some struggles and trials cannot be avoided. There are, and will most certainly be, thorns that never get removed. We will face them on a regular basis. We will be reminded of their presence in our lives constantly. He will not remove the thorns. Yet just as He will not remove the thorns, neither will He remove His grace. He will not remove His strength that is perfected in our weakness. Some of these thorns will be with us always, but we will always be accompanied by the grace that is sufficient for us. We will be strengthened in every weakness. There are battles we will fight every day. There are challenges that will never leave us alone. There are struggles we cannot hide from. The thorn may not be going anywhere, but neither is His grace. That is truly the answer we need.
Written by Reverend Dustin Elder
Posted in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting
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