So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor 12:7 ESV
Paul the converted Christian hunter wrote a lot of the New Testament, but had a thorn in the flesh. He does not say what it was. It may have been lust, or a critical spirit, or headaches. Whatever it was, it bothered him and he wanted to be free of it. He asked the Lord three times to take it away but the Lord told him My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Paul continued to minister with the thorn still there.
The grace of God is like oil that smooths the gears of life. It makes things fall into place and can make you be at the right place, at the right time, saying the right things and knowing all the right answers. When the Lord herded me into my own computer repair business, it seemed like they almost fixed themselves. Often when I touched them, they suddenly started working correctly.
Grace can make things seem easy, but when the grace lifts, things become difficult and it can be a sign to move on. Later, when the Lord decided to put me into ministry, the computer business dried completely up and became a living nightmare. It seemed like trivial things like burning a disk could take half a day, where it used to take five minutes. The grace was gone and it was time to move on.
Having problems and thorns will not stop God from using you. If you are walking with something today that will not leave, and you cry out to the Lord repeatedly, but still it is there, dont give up. Know that His grace is sufficient to get you through this day, and He will still use the imperfect and weak to show His power, with all their flaws, just as He continued to use Paul.
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