2 Corinthians 12

Be Still:  Jesus, as I open your Word, please teach me something new or remind me of something true about who you are today. Amen

Read: 2 Corinthians 12

'Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. 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. (vv6-10)

Encounter: I thought I’d follow Paul’s example today and boast about some of my weaknesses for you – I can’t drive, I don’t know my left from my right and my mental maths is poor. Yes, I’ve picked out some relatively unimportant weaknesses, but I’m not going to write my actual deep weaknesses for you to read. I, like most of us, am nervous about people discovering my weaknesses and don’t typically advertise my limitations.

In contrast, Paul was not afraid of being vulnerable about his frailties - they’re written in black and white in the best-selling book of all time! He told the Corinthians how God gave him 'a thorn'. We don’t know exactly what this thorn was, but three times he pleaded with the Lord to take it away.

However, in this thorn, this weakness, and in the pain of unanswered prayer, Paul knew he was totally dependent on the Lord. As the Message version puts Paul’s words in verses 7-10, 'It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.'

Apply: What are the ‘thorns’ in your life? I’m sure Paul’s thorn was a source of great frustration and pain, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Bring all your feelings around your thorn to Jesus and ask him to meet you in that. Ask him to reveal more of who he is through the pain, just like he did with Paul.

Devote: Jesus, meet me in my weaknesses and my thorns. Thank you for working through pain and suffering. Thank you that with you nothing is wasted. Use these thorns for your glory, just like you did with Paul.