Daily devotional · June 28
Strength in Weakness
“or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul describes a thorn in the flesh that he begged God to remove. Three times he asked, and the answer was no, with a surprising explanation: my grace is enough for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. Paul did not pretend the thorn was pleasant. He simply discovered that his limitation became the place where he experienced God's strength most clearly. We are taught to hide weakness and project competence, yet this passage suggests that our limits are not obstacles to God's work but invitations to depend on him. Today, think of a limitation you resent, a physical condition, a personality trait, a past failure. Instead of hiding it, tell God that you bring it to him. Ask him to work through it, and admit your need to someone you trust.
Prayer
Lord, your grace is enough. Show your strength in the places where I am weak.