Rejoice in Weaknesses
November 13, 2017
Devotions:
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 KJV
Satan did not want Paul's message of grace to get out. It was already causing too much trouble everywhere Paul went. So Satan stirred up opposistion against Paul. 2 Corinthians 4:8-11 Nothing mentioned was sickness or disease. In the passage above infirmities means weaknesses. Satan was trying to silence Paul. Jesus paid the full price for all of our sicknesses and diseases so the thorn is not about any sickness or disease. What the Lord cannot do is go against a human will and neither can we but by His grace we overcome all the trials and stumbling blocks that Satan puts in our way.
What did Jesus mean when He said that His grace was sufficient for Paul? It does not mean that we just have to endure our situation as a doormat. But His strength is perfected in our weakness. Ours is not to rid ourselves of our weaknesses but to learn to rely on the grace and power of the Lord. Paul said then that He would glory in His weaknesses. When faced with the impossible because of our inability and we look to and rely upon the Lord then He gets the glory and we walk as overcomers. Romans 8:37.
We all have weaknesses. The world's way is to try to strengthen our weaknesses but this will never succeed. We are to rejoice in our weaknesses: for when we are weak then we are strong by His power within us.