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 Cor. 12: 9,10
In 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, Paul states he has — ‘a thorn in his flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure’.
We are never told what this ‘thorn’ was. However, God did not take it away, or deliver Paul from it. He prayed on three occasions that LORD would take it away. The LORD said that His strength was made perfect in weakness.
I’m glad that we are not told what Paul’s infirmity was. We all have some kind of weakness.
Did you notice that some of the greatest testimonies come from people who experienced the LORD”s strength in their weakness? People with addictions who recovered through having faith in the LORD; Convicts who were given long sentences for crimes they committed found Christ in Prison, and found the power of His mighty forgiveness and mercy; People with debilitating illnesses and cancers, living their lives out daily by the power of the Living God; those are testimonies that show God’s strength in weakness.
There is power in weakness. There is glory and healing in sickness. There is mercy and forgiveness when we are tormented by crimes we’ve committed. There is deliverance of addictions.
Without us being in those conditions, how else would God display His power to us?
Like Paul, God might not take away that ‘thorn in our flesh’, but He will give us His strength and display His power through our suffering.
Jesus came for the sick of the world, not the well. Therefore, we can rejoice in infirmities and suffering, knowing that His grace is sufficient.
Dear Lord, when I am weak, You are strong. You have proved that many times in my life. Thank You for Your grace and strength, and for Your continued presence. I am so grateful for Your mercy. Help me to remember Your strength and grace when I am weak. Oh Lord, I love You so much! Amen!
-Dawn-
Daily Devotions with Dawn 
Amen. And without trials, tribulations, frustrations, and testings, our faith could not and would not grow. We would never be able to trust God fully if we didn’t know how very much we need Him.
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I agree! Our toughest trials expose our weakness and frailty, but they reveal God’s awesome strength and ability. Thanks for the comment!
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Oh yes! Our weakness drives us to God and when we are down and can only look up, He is there. Weakness keeps us from becoming full of pride and self-reliance and develops our “God-reliance”.
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God-reliance works so much better than self-reliance. I love that ‘there is no pit, that God can’t go deeper still’. His strength and love is amazing! Thanks Betty!
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It does seem like we can hear the voice of GOD better when we are weak and in the valley. We are quieted within and we hear his voice more clearly as we draw near to him.
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I agree! Thank you for the comment.
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