Jul 07, 2014 The Grace to Overcome 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 A Thorn in the Flesh 7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to [a]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast [b]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with [c]insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. The Lord declares that His grace is sufficient for every painful situation we will ever encounter. Because of His abundant goodness, kindness, and love for us, we do not have to succumb to discouragement, give up hope, or walk away from His plan. We will know God’s grace is working in us when . . . We have the strength to persevere. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, God releases His supernatural power into our life so we might endure (Acts 1:8). A spirit of confidence in Him is ignited within our hearts and minds. Grace helps us believe that God will bring good from our troubles (Rom. 8:28). We sense His presence with us. When grace is at work, we will be conscious of the Spirit’s abiding support. Our focus shifts from our trials to the Lord. Grace helps us shift attention from our situation and emotions to God’s sufficiency. We trust that God will bring us through this—and not just barely through, but with deeper intimacy and greater faith at the end. We are assured of God’s sovereignty. The Lord knows our frailties. So He has promised to limit our trials to what our weaknesses, strengthened by His power, can bear (1 Cor. 10:13). The apostle Paul had been through shipwrecks, imprisonment, and beatings—difficulties far worse than what most of us face. Yet he didnt quit, because he drew on God’s grace and found it sufficient for every circumstance. Where do you need an infusion of grace in order not to give up and walk away?
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 13:51:17 +0000
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