Written by TWFYT
Wednesday December 18
"A thorn in the flesh was given to me." 2 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV
Paul writes: "A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast on my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me...For when I am weak, then I am strong" (vv. 7-10 NKJV). Paul had such great faith that when he prayed, the sick were healed and the dead were raised. Yet, he prayed repeatedly that God would remove his "thorn in the flesh," and God said no. Why? To keep him humble and make him totally dependent on God. We don't know what Paul's thorn in the flesh was, but we know why he had it: "Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations" (v. 7 NKJV). When God blesses you greatly, with it comes the risk of pride. And with God, that's a disqualifier. If you have ever had a splinter in your finger, you know it throbs with pain and constantly irritates you. Can you love with it? Yes. Would you rather not? Yes. Note what Paul says: "A thorn in the flesh was given to me." Not only does he come to see his thorn as a grace developer, but a gift that does two things: (1) Humbles us and makes us more dependent on God. (2) Makes us more tolerant and gracious since everybody has a thorn.
Wednesday December 18
"A thorn in the flesh was given to me." 2 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV
Paul writes: "A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast on my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me...For when I am weak, then I am strong" (vv. 7-10 NKJV). Paul had such great faith that when he prayed, the sick were healed and the dead were raised. Yet, he prayed repeatedly that God would remove his "thorn in the flesh," and God said no. Why? To keep him humble and make him totally dependent on God. We don't know what Paul's thorn in the flesh was, but we know why he had it: "Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations" (v. 7 NKJV). When God blesses you greatly, with it comes the risk of pride. And with God, that's a disqualifier. If you have ever had a splinter in your finger, you know it throbs with pain and constantly irritates you. Can you love with it? Yes. Would you rather not? Yes. Note what Paul says: "A thorn in the flesh was given to me." Not only does he come to see his thorn as a grace developer, but a gift that does two things: (1) Humbles us and makes us more dependent on God. (2) Makes us more tolerant and gracious since everybody has a thorn.
Posted in Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2025
January
START BY FORGIVINGEMBRACING UNCERTAINTY AND FOLLOWING GODBLESSING IS PROGRESSIVEIS GOD SHAKING YOU UP?DON'T AVOID--ENGAGEYOU ARE COMMANDED TO LOVEJUST SOW THE SEEDSEE YOURSELF AS VALUABLE (1)SEE YOURSELF AS VALUABLE (2)PRAY ABOUT IT, THEN TAKE ACTIONTHE IMPORTANCE OF GOD'S WORDTHE LINK BETWEEN DISOBEDIENCE AND STRESSHAVE YOU TALKED TO GOD ABOUT IT?KNOW YOUR PURPOSE, KNOW YOUR PARTNERSHOW GOD SEES YOUBE GUIDED BY WISDOM, NOT IMPULSEPAUSE AND REFLECTWHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (1)WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (2)WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MONEY (3)WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MONEY (4)WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MONEY (5)SEEKING GOD
February
PRACTICE SAYING NO TO YOURSELFTHE BEST IS YET TO COMETHE GRANDFATHER'S MISTAKE BECAME THE GRANDSON'S MIRACLEHOW TO CONQUER THE FEAR OF FAILINGLET'S RESPECT OUR DIFFERENCESPASS IT ON TO OTHERSKEEP TRUSTING GODFEAR IS THE ENEMY OF GROWTHCHANGE YOUR ROUTINEYOU ARE NOT BEYOND GOD'S REACHDON'T LOOK AT CHRISTIANS, LOOK AT CHRISTUNDERSTANDING THE WORD "IMPUTED"GOVERNED BY CHRIST'S LOVE FOR USTODAY EXCEPT GOD'S FAVORGROWTH IS ABOUT ENLARGEMENTFIND PRAYER PARTNERSKEEP PRAYING AND BELIEVINGREFUSE TO WEAR THE LABELJESUS IS THE ANSWERSHAKE IT OFF, AND MOVE FORWARDWHEN OTHERS "DON'T GET IT"RIGHTEOUSNSS IS A GIFT, NOT A REWARD
March
HOW LONG WILL YOU LIVE?DON'T BREAK, BOUNCE BACK (1)DON'T BREAK, BOUNCE BACK (2)KNOW WHEN TO LET GOPUT AWAY THE MEASURING STICKCONNECT, COMMIT, COMMUNICATEUSE YOUR IMAGINATIONCONSULT GOD ON YOUR DAILY TO-DO LISTBEARING SPIRITUAL FRUITHOW GOD SEES YOUBORN TO BELIEVE (1)BORN TO BELIEVE (2)ONLY JESUS CAN SATISFY YOUR SOULPUT GOD BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE FOE"FORGIVE THEM" AND DELETE ITBE TRUE TO THE SCRIPTURESTHE KIDS ARE WATCHING YOU (1)THE KIDS ARE WATCHING YOU (2)IF YOU'RE A LEADER, READ THISPRAYER AND YOUR RASLEARN TO SAY NOYOU CAN LEARN TO LOVEALWAYS AGREE WITH GOD'S WORD
2024
January
A NEW YEAR, A NEW STARTTHIS YEAR, DO FIRST THINGS FIRSTNEVER STOP LEARNING (1)NEVER STOP LEARNING (2)GET OUT OF DEBT AND STAY OUT OF DEBTDON'T BE SO CONTROLLINGTHE SEVEN-DAY CHALLENGEPARENT, KEEP PERSEVERINGTURNING TWO FAMILIES INTO ONEPUT YOUR HEART INTO YOUR PARTFOUR PRINCIPLES FOR VICTORIOUS LIVINGTAKE CONTROL OF THE SMALL THINGSDON’T GIVE UPLEARNING TO LISTEN TO GOD (1)LEARNING TO LISTEN TO GOD (2)LEARNING TO LISTEN TO GOD (3)LEARNING TO LISTEN TO GOD (4)SET OTHER THINGS ASIDE AND SERVEGOD AND WORKHOW TO ENRICH AND STRENGTHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIPSPROPHECY FULFILLEDDON'T SHOUT ABOUT ITYOU'RE GROWING IN GRACEWALKING WITH GODYOUR SECRET PLACEWORK ON GROWING CLOSERARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT RETIREMENT?GIDEON'S GOD IS YOUR GODTO GROW WE MUST KEEP ASKING QUESTIONSBE INTERESTED IN EVERYTHING GOD DOES
Categories
Tags
no tags