Good morning! It’s been a rainy morning here in Tennessee but the birds are singing and it’s peaceful outside.
I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep. It was one of those morning when I couldn’t shut my mind off so I got up and made some coffee, went upstairs and just sat with Jesus for a while then came out to my studio. Ozzie (our Blue Healer) and I are enjoying the peace and quiet of early morning in “The Shed”.
During my devotion time this morning, my scripture reading was on 2 Corinthians 12:9;
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
Paul has a “thorn in his side”. A difficulty he’s dealing with that hinders his ministry and he’s asked God to remove it 3 times. But God said “No”.
Why would God want one of his most devoted apostles to suffer? Why would He allow Paul’s ministry to be hindered in any way? Wouldn’t that be counter productive? Not in God’s eyes.
You see, sometimes God has to give us difficult situations to deal with in order to keep us humble and not get to full of ourselves.
Let’s put it in today’s perspective. It’s hard to imagine someone in today’s world who is successful boasting about their weaknesses. That’s so counter-culture today but that’s exactly what Paul did.
He understood that by humbly admitting his weaknesses, he allowed others to see God’s power working through him.
What Are Thorns?
“Thorns of the flesh” can be a physical ailment, a difficult relationship, financial problems, addictions or any number of things we may struggle with but when we can quit complaining about our “thorn” and persevere in whatever it is God has us doing, we can glorify God through our actions and attitudes.
As we recognize our limitations and weaknesses, we learn to depend on God more for our effectiveness and less on our own talents, efforts and energy.
We must remember that our spiritual condition is far more important to God than our physical condition. He’s more concerned with our character than our comfort.
Humbly submit your “thorns” to Him and show the world the power of God today!
Friend, I hope this has helped you today. Let me know by commenting below and don’t forget to join my email so you can catch all my new posts!
Blessings,
Becky
