When God’s Grace Is Enough
Be encouraged by today’s Scripture reflection and prayer.
Today's Scripture
2 Corinthians 12:7–8 (KJV)
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.”
Reflection
Our afflictions can come from many sources. They can come in the form of other people who constantly cause us trouble. They can also come from bodily issues that we pray and pray for healing from. No matter the source, affliction is something we all face at some point in our lives.
After reading this passage so many times, I began to see it differently. God, who knows us fully, allows certain afflictions for our good. I know that can be hard to understand. It certainly does not feel good while we are walking through it. Yet Scripture shows us that Paul’s affliction was not an accident, nor was it meaningless. God allowed it so Paul would not be hindered in the spreading of the gospel. The focus was never meant to be Paul. It was always meant to be Christ.
Paul prayed earnestly for the affliction to be removed. Three times he pleaded with the Lord. Instead of removing it, God revealed something far greater. He showed Paul that His grace was sufficient. Paul came to understand that the affliction had a purpose. It kept him humble and dependent on God. It ensured that the power at work in his ministry was clearly seen as God’s power and not his own.
Most of us do not understand our afflictions while we are in them. Most of us fight against them. We plead, we question, and we grow weary. Yet God sees what we cannot see. He knows how our weakness can display His strength. He knows how our dependence can magnify His glory. When we cannot see the reason, we are invited to trust the sufficiency of His grace.
Today's Prayer
Lord, You know every affliction I carry, both seen and unseen. Help me to trust You when I do not understand why You allow certain things to remain. Teach me to rest in Your sufficient grace and to rely on Your strength instead of my own. May my weakness never distract from Christ, but instead point others to Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Before You Go
Is there something in your life you have been asking God to remove, yet it remains? Today, consider that God’s grace may be at work in ways you cannot yet see. This does not minimize the pain or the struggle, but it does remind us that Christ is enough. His grace sustains, strengthens, and carries us through. Let your heart rest in this truth today. God is not absent in your affliction. He is present, sufficient, and working for His glory and your good through Jesus Christ.
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