Original: August 20, 2007
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me 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." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand! Galatians 6:11
As of the time of my writing this (See: original date) this year is my thirteenth year of counseling at Hume Lake Christian camps. Driving 16 hours with vehicles (bus, vans, and cars) full of students, spending the night on the floor of a strange church in Stockton, California without air conditioning we were, quite frankly, tired when we arrived. Hoping for an early night of sleep I ended up staying awake until the early morning hours as Nate Cutrell talked my ear off still wired from drinking some energy drink-Rock Star, I think. When I finally fell asleep it was only lightly as the bunk beds made a noise that would make a mocking bird jealous.
Six O’clock came early as my mind wrestled between the choices of sleeping in until 7:30 or doing my much anticipated prayer walk around the lake. Ultimately, tradition won out, and I was up with my Ponderosa Dining Hall coffee and on my three mile prayer walk around Hume Lake at sunrise. I write this energized, renewed, and ready to love teens and lead those select counselors that God has sent to counsel them. Today I will represent a walking miracle of God strengthening grace.
In Scripture there are three types of grace that God gives to His children: Saving grace (Ephesians 2:8-10), serving grace (Galatians 6: 9-11) and strengthening grace (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
As I read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 I am led to question what this “thorn in the flesh” really was. Many people have various theories and using only Scripture as my reference I believe that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was that he never fully recovered from losing his eyesight on the road to Damascus as recorded in Acts 9:1-18.
Unlike you and I, Paul could not go to the local optometrist to have his contact lenses renewed. A loss of eyesight would have hindered Paul’s ministry. It would have made life incredibly challenging. It would have been a “thorn.” We know that Paul could barely see and might have been legally blind from his statement in Galatians 6:11 where Paul writes, “See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!” This “thorn” poor eye site hindered his ministry to the degree that he begged God for healing to which God replied to each time, “My [strengthening] grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (9).
Did you hear that?
God either wanted or allowed Paul to be physically hindered through his poor eye site so that He could use him in a greater measure. I do not want to judge the intent of God in this or any other matter but isn’t it possible that this was so that Paul would remain humble and refrain from becoming “conceited” (7)?
Like camp this week, godly men (unlike boys) are often weak and wearied (Galatians 6:9) from their many responsibilities, but God is faithful to “renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31) that he might “mount up” on the strengthening grace of God becoming the man that God has intended them be.
Where do you need God’s strengthening grace in your life?
Do you need to stand up and take your place as the spiritual leader of your family (1 Timothy 3:4-12) but cannot seem to take the first step? Do you feel beat down by the disrespect of your wife and children? Has this economy wearied you? Has maintaining your material possessions polluted you? Is there a person, situation, or relationship that needs your gutsy attention?
Pray for God’s strength so that you may come to realize that His grace really is sufficient for you too.
