Week:                          April 21-27, 2024

 Read:                          2 Corinthians 12: 7-8

Key Verses:                 ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

The apostle Paul begins by sharing the revelation he has received from the Lord. Paul was abundantly blessed to do big things; however, he was also struggling with a problem, and goes to God on it.  Paul says, “God sent unto me a messenger from the enemy to torment me.” We don’t know what Paul’s problem was, but we do know he went before God about it. It must have been painful privately and humiliating publicly, and this happened while he was trying to do what he needed to do, and be who he needed to be, for God.

Isn’t it interesting that when you get blessed in one area of your life, you seldom enjoy it because on the heels of success comes trouble. I want to talk to the people who have been blessed in some area of life and then dealt with trouble soon afterwards. Before you could get acclimated to the success, you get knocked back down.

Three times, Paul went to God about his problem and God did nothing about it. Then God tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient.” There will be times in life when you pray on (or for) something, and God will let it linger. I have been there, but I can also tell you not to despair; God’s grace will help you to be victorious in the midst of His, “No.”  In knowing we will be victorious, when all is said and done, we are encouraged to rejoice (even in tribulation). Here are a few strategies to help get to the rejoicing stage:

• Change the way you think about the thing (this is a mind-set shift).
• Stop complaining and murmuring about the problem.
• Give thanks for the hindrance; after all, God is helping you to survive it.
• Seek Him first, and everything else gets taken care of in your life.
• Rejoice…because doing the above-listed things, should make you glad.

Prayer: “Father God, let Your Word come alive in me, and in a way helps me to be all you would have me to become. Enable me to get glad in all situations, for You walk with me daily. I thank You that Your “No” will result in more blessing, wisdom, power and strength. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”