SCRIPTURE: 2 CORINTHIANS 12
BIBLE VERSES:
“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. ( 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
PAUL’S VISION AND HIS THORN (vs. 1-10)
God permitted a thorn on Paul’s flesh in order to keep him humble. He prayed 3 times for the removal, but his prayer was not answered. Instead God told him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (v. 9)
PAUL’S CONCERN FOR THE CORINTHIANS (vs. 11-21)
Paul was concerned about the sins of the saints in Corinth. His love for them had prompted him the courage to confront them. He named the sins – quarreling, jealousy, outburst of anger, factions, slander, disorder, impurity, sexual sins and debauchery. He named the sins that were rampant in their church and warned them that a “little leaven” had indeed leavened the whole lump.
THOUGHTS:
God allowed Paul to have a thorn in his flesh to keep him humble so that His power will be manifested. We all may have a thorn in our flesh that causes us chronic problem. But remember that God’s power is displayed in our weakness. He wants us to develop Christian character of deepening our worship and affirming God’s strength. Let us all depend on God’s power and do His work effectively.
PAUL’S EXAMPLE AS GOD’S SERVANT:
- He was always in communion with God
- He endured sufferings but the grace of God was sufficient for him.
- He was not a lover of money
- He had the courage in dealing with sin.