Do you believe that God’s grace only deals with your undeserved favor? Read on… At a recent Fresh Fire Bible study, we saw that the Apostle Paul gave us a new way of looking at God’s grace. In 2 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul revealed that he had experienced a particular supernatural experience where the Lord took Paul up to heaven. And likely there were other experiences that Paul did not mention. But to keep Paul from becoming conceited and prideful, the Lord gave Paul a perpetual “thorn in his side” that would torment him (God knows how to keep each one of us in check!). The apostle did not tell us what that thorn was, yet he prayed and pleaded that God would remove it.
Each time God’s answer was either no response or “No.” It is a hurting thing when God refuses to do something that you believe would improve your life or the life of your loved ones? Have you ever been there? The third time Paul prayed, God still refused Paul’s request but told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
God told Paul to handle that thorn by accepting that God is working out something greater by leaving that thorn in Paul’s life AND that if Paul leans into God’s grace, then Paul will be able to survive and thrive even with that thorn. Paul teaches us that we will have things in life that we wish were not there. God will remove some of those things, and others God will leave there for our own good—even if we don’t see it that way. Ouch!
So by all means pray about it. And if that thorn in your side still remains, then don’t complain about it; instead ask God to show you how to step into and thrive in God’s grace even in the hard situation. And thank God for God’s grace. Paul (the great leader who was constantly being tormented by a thorn God refused to move) also said, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5:18).
God’s grace is more than getting something wonderful that you didn’t earn or expect. God’s grace is also God’s strength in you to get you through what you really don’t want. God’s grace is sufficient for it all.
God bless you.
Pastor Janice Fareed Hardy