Hardships That Hang On (#144 of 365+)

“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’” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)


It isn’t entirely clear what Paul’s “thorn” in the flesh may have been. Was it chronic pain? A recurring problem with the authorities? Or a literal “messenger of Satan”? It’s a curiosity but it isn’t necessary to know for sure. I can still apply the lessons Paul learned to my life. I can fill in the blank with my own “chronic” (continuing, lifelong, persistent, unyielding) conditions and see how—whatever Satan meant for evil—God can and will overrule for my good. My Lord is always in complete control and has the final authority and say over anything that happens to me. In Paul’s case, the “thorn” was allowed so his mind wouldn’t get puffed up with an overinflated image of himself. It kept him humble. How? In at least two ways:

Instead of making Paul run away from the faith, the thorn actually made him run to the Lord. It made him get down on his knees and pray more fervently than he usually did. This tends to be the case whenever something bad happens way too close to home. That’s when we get really serious about prayer. And, according to Paul’s own words, this was something so close to home it felt embedded in his flesh because nothing seemed to give him any relief.

Instead of taking away the thorn, God used it to remind Paul of his amazing grace. By not answering the prayer in the way he wanted, and then saying “my grace is sufficient”, the Lord was bringing up everything he had done for Paul. The former hunter of Christ-followers had been shown incredible mercy and given the opportunity to serve the very people he had once tried to kill. He had absolutely no right to complain about anything. The Lord had completely forgiven and washed away all his sin.

I may not always understand why but I can know that God will only allow me to endure “chronic” circumstances, the kind that persist for a long period of time, for his good reasons. It may be to prepare me for something. Or, as Joni said, “The core of God’s plan is to rescue us…”

chronic pain + daily reliance on God’s grace = chronic (abiding, enduring, incurable, lasting) joy...

The following words to the hymn It Is Well With My Soul were written by a man who had lost all his children in one fatal day. How could anything feel “well” with his soul ever again? Well, because he had learned the same lessons Paul had. First, God has final authority and say over everything and nothing happens without his approval. Second, God demonstrated his incredible love and grace for the world by sending Jesus to die on a cross. The souls of that man’s lost loved ones were eternally secure. So was his own soul. What more could he possibly ask for?

“But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait/The sky, not the grave, is our goal/Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!/Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!”

Look up, my soul. “The sky, not the grave, is our goal”…

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2)

Lord, you know the reason why I look into the sky so often. Especially towards the east. I’m looking forward to that day. In the meanwhile, may I learn to fully rely upon your sufficient grace. Give me the joy, peace, and love that comes from drawing closer to you. Amen.