Title of tonight's message is Sufficient Grace, Strength in
the thorn. We'll see what that means in a
moment. As you're turning to 2nd
Corinthians 12. Imagine with me for a moment a
butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon as the word I
was after, wings trembling against the tight confines of
this cocoon, and a well meaning child, seeing the struggle,
decides to help out and snips the cocoon open.
But when the butterfly emerges, its wings are shrivelled and now
unfit for flight, doomed to crawl instead of soaring.
The struggle, painful as it was, was actually necessary and
essential for strength. Without it, there is no soaring
in the heavens. This example somewhat captures
the heart of 2nd Corinthians 12 verses 1 to 10.
This evening. I think most of us prefer the
idea of strength being stoic. We admire the capable, the
confident, those that seem to have no qualms, concerns, or
worries. Nothing seems to phase them.
They're competent, we might call them, and we want to be one of
those people holding things together, not the one falling
apart. And yet, in God's Kingdom, the
mathematics of power is reversed.
Strength actually comes through surrender.
Power is made evident in weakness, victory through
vulnerability, life through loss.
That's the paradox that Paul unpacks for us here in this
chapter. He's still addressing, answering
these so called super apostles that had set themselves up in
the church there in Corinth that he's writing to.
And these self promoters boasted about visions and revelations
and insight that they had from God that set them apart, certain
achievements that they might have.
And certainly they set themselves up as being
spiritually superior to the rest of the people, the congregation
there in Corinth and Paul, reluctant and comes through in
his writing, but resolute, strong and firm, steps into
their game for a moment, not to glorify himself, but to now show
what true spiritual authority is all about.
That it in fact it's revealed not in triumphs, but in trials.
Chapter 10. Chapter 11 and 12 are all him
addressing this notion reminds me of when Muhammad Ali the
boxer was told to put his seat belt on when flying in an
aeroplane and he quit. Superman don't need no seat
belt. To which someone quickly
reminded. Superman don't need no aeroplane
either. Paul here in this chapter, he's
answering fools what Proverbs tells us according to their
folly. There's a divine twist in his
writing. And that's why Paul pens what he
does, says what he says. He shares for us this
breathtaking vision of heaven, of a revelation that God had
given to him. But quickly is everything off on
the stage, everything muted? Yeah, OK, so it's me.
But quickly now, having gone from this high sort of vision of
heaven, he'll then explore the depths of this brutal thorn in
the flesh, as he will call it, a messenger of Satan sent to
buffet him. Why?
Well, because both the vision of heaven and the thorn in the
flesh serve the one and the same purpose, to magnify the
sufficiency of God's grace. Grace is something that we talk
about because it appears again and again throughout the
Scriptures. And his thorn, we will see, it's
actually in the Greek, a word that indicates a huge, massive
stakes, I think a, a big kind of tent making stake.
Paul's a tent maker. So that's the imagery that he
had in mind of something that's been driven intensely painful
into his flesh. And in this, this thorn that he
speaks of, actually permitted by God, allowed by God, reveals
this paradox for us, that God's strength actually shines the
brightest in our weakness, in our pain.
So what Paul offers for us in this passage, as we'll read in a
moment or two, startling notices of divine work, of God.
And in Paul's life in an house, a glorious, indescribable
revelation of heaven, yes, of being caught up into paradise,
as he'll say. And then this stubborn, piercing
thorn in the flesh, one seems to lift him up, the other humbles
him. But both, he insists for us
reveal the same truth. God's grace is sufficient.
That'll be our reminder. That'll be our focus for us
tonight. And we'll see this as we look at
3 lessons out of this passage to help us consider what it means
to be a true servant and follower of Jesus Christ.
We'll see the privilege of Revelation and verses one to
six, that God lifts us into his vision.
He, he reveals things for us. But it's not that we'll be
bloated with our own significance and pride filling
our hearts, but rather that we would recognise the call of God
upon us and that we're sent for his purposes and to be busy
about that. We'll see.
Secondly, the purpose of the thorn, that God humbles in that
difficulty so that pride won't ruin us.
We learnt the pride this morning and Paul the Apostle speaks of
this being a needful thing for him lest he become conceited and
filled with pride. And if Paul the Apostle needed
that, then how much more so you and I?
Thirdly, we'll see for us the power of grace, of God's
strength becoming ours in the place in the moments, in the
times of our weakness. So let's begin with the heavenly
part of Paul's story. Verses one through to six I'll
read out of the new King James Version.
He says verse one, It is doubtless not profitable for me
to boast. I will come now to visions and
revelations of the Lord. So in other words, these super
apostles, they keep talking about these grand visions and
revelations God gives to them. All right, I'll play this game.
Let's talk about visions and revelations.
I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body I
do not know. Whether out of the body I do not
know. God knows such a one was caught
up into the 3rd heaven and I know such a man, whether in the
body or out of the body I do not know.
God knows how he was caught up verse 4 into paradise.
This 3rd heaven, this paradise is God's dwelling place.
When we speak of heaven in the Bible, the word heaven's often
used a number of times, translated into English, can
speak of the sky, of the atmosphere, but in this location
it's Speaking of the heavenly realm, God's residence of how
verse 4 caught up into paradise and he heard inexpressible words
which it is not lawful for a man to utter of such a one.
Verse 5. I will boast it of myself.
I'll not boast except in my infirmities, for though I might
desire to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will speak the
truth, but I refrain lest anyone should think of me above what he
sees me to be or hears from me. What is this about?
Well, a point we're going to consider is the privilege of
revelation, that God lifts us into vision, and Paul begins
here almost reluctantly. That comes through in the verses
that we read. I must go on boasting.
Another translation has I'll go on divisions and revelations of
the Lord. Now and then he tells of this
experience, an extraordinary one, but he can't quite fully
explain it. So I don't know whether I was
there physically, but he puts it this way.
I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up in the
3rd heaven into paradise and he heard inexpressible words.
Who is this man in Christ? It's it's actually Paul.
And Paul here is utilising something quite common for the
Greeks back then when arguing and developing a point to
reference themselves in the third person.
And he does that here. And so it's an individual that
he's Speaking of, but we know it to be himself.
And he says that man in Christ, Paul, he's kind of keeping the
details a bit tight. Whether it was me literally,
physically in my body in the heavenly realm, or a vision that
God had granted to me to see, I don't know, but God knows.
But what he does know is that I heard things that can't be
spoken, can't be written down. Now, most scholars, most
commentators suggest that what Paul is referencing here is back
in Acts chapter 14, when some Jews in a a town, a city called
Lystra, had taken Paul out, dragged him out and stoned him
to death. And whether it was that he had
been concussed or knocked out, or he'd actually died and God
resurrected him, it's not clear in the Scripture.
But many attribute this revelation that he references
here to be of this occasion. We know the story that Paul
comes back and continues and persists preaching and teaching
the very thing that had caused him to be dragged out of the
city. And Lister, it's amazing story
in the book of Acts chapter 14. But this paradise episode that
he references here, it's not the only supernatural revelation or
vision encounter in Paul's life. And each of the visions that
I'll reference and provide for you in a moment that that Paul
has, that we know from scripture, they each of them
have a specific purpose for Paul.
And this is the point we're going to pull out of what and
what Paul is, is declaring this vision all about.
Because the Super apostles so called in Corinth, we're talking
about these revelations and visions so called that they had,
and they were using it as a reason to have themselves
celebrated, to be elevated above everybody else because of these
revelations, these visions that so called, they've been given.
But Paul says, all right, let me tell you about revelations and
visions and these things and the purpose thereof.
You remember on the road to Damascus there was a revelation,
a vision that Paul had. Paul.
Then Saul was met by the risen Jesus who asked him, Saul, Saul,
why are you persecuting me? And that encounter stopped
literally Paul dead in his tracks, his eyesight.
He was blinded for a season, but it turned him.
It transformed him into the apostle Paul, the sent one on to
the Gentiles. And it wasn't merely instruction
that was given in this revelation by Jesus to him.
It was life transforming. It was commissioning in Paul's
life. That's one revelation. 2nd, we
see a revelation in reference to Paul, the visit of Ananias after
that road experience that Paul had a godly man in Damascus
named Ananias received a vision, directed instructions by God to
go to Saul, who understand at this point in time was a
veritable Hitler as far as the early church was concerned.
And Ananias was told in this vision to go and lay hands on
Saul at that time and to heal him and restore his sight.
And that vision led to Paul's healing.
And that vision led to a public identification for Paul with
Christ's people. A third vision, the Macedonian
call, or a vision in Troas. On time in the night in a city
called Troas, Paul saw a vision of a man from Macedonia saying
come over to Macedonia and help us and what that vision provided
was for Paul mission, strategy, strategy and and launch the
gospel into Europe. There's a time when Paul was
actually in the city of Corinth. We read in the book of Acts an
opposition there. Paul had had become fearful of
it. He's wondering, am I in the
right place? God am I doing and and living
according to your will and I'm so fearful and and the Lord
appeared to him and said do not be afraid and said this I have
many people in this city and that vision strength and Paul to
press on where where human approval had failed and where
fear had gripped his heart. It was a promise, later
appearing in vision form to Paul about what would happen in Rome.
While in prison, Paul received again a vision or a word
confirming that he would in fact testify before Caesar.
And you know what? That promise sustained Paul
through a dangerous sea journey and then his eventual ministry
in Rome. There was another vision.
Paul received an angelic reassurance on the ship on the
journey to Rome when in a storm at sea, an Angel told Paul that
none of those aboard the ship would perish, and this vision
protected and guided him through perilous travel.
Finally, what we read tonight, this paradise vision he mentions
here, this 3rd heaven experience kind of crowns this pattern of
visions if Paul's wanting to boast or to speak of them.
And it's an extraordinary vision of glory.
Paul keeps it quiet. It seems that he's not revealed
this for some 14 years. It's the first time, the first
mention, maybe there's been a select few, but certainly in
writing. And he's sharing it only for the
point of defending his ministry when when others seemingly
flaunted their spiritual credentials above Paul.
And so I want us to Note 2 important observations about
revelations, about how God speaks to us, and in particular
for Paul here always these were given with the purpose of
mission and not promotion. Each vision that I referred us
to, and this vision here that Paul is recounting, it redirects
Paul back into service of the Lord to preach, to go, to
endure. It was always about God's work.
It was always about God's call. It was always about God's will.
It was never about making big of Paul.
And I say that because today in modern Christendom, there are
all sorts of people who will declare certain revelations,
certain dreams, certain maybe heavenly insights that they've
received from God. We've all heard of those near
death experiences where people will recount that I was taken
into into heaven and I saw God. You know what inevitably happens
with many of those? A book comes out and money is
made and TV shows and appearances and all the focus,
all the energy seems to go on to the individual.
There's a stark difference between that and what Paul is
recounting here. All those visions, all of those
revelations were about reorienting Paul and reaffirming
that it's all about me, God. And Paul needed to be reminded
of that here and, and so much more.
I think you and I and, and these visions, they, they never made
Paul proud. They rather made him dependent.
Far from inflating him, the revelation exposed his need for
humility. And the more it seems that he
saw of heaven, the less he boasted in himself.
And so the application for you and I in these verses I want us
to see is this. If God lifts you, if God has
revealed things to you, serve him in that.
And with that, if God has granted you spiritual insight, a
platform or an opportunity, don't treat it as as validation
for pride to fill your heart. Treat it as commissioning for a
deeper service of the Lord and test experience by character.
Revelations, you see, are only valuable if they lead to
humility, holiness, and sacrificial service.
That's what Paul models for us. You know when God shows you
something of His glory, let it make you more like Jesus, not
more inflated with yourself. You know, God will sometimes
lift us so that He can send us. And so I see revelation then as
a privilege with a purpose to equip and to humble.
And that's now really where Paul gets us as we consider the
second point for us tonight, the purpose of the thorn of God
humbling us down. Having recounted this revelatory
experience of being taken into the 3rd heaven, now he reveals
something else. In verse 7 and 8 it says unless
I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the
revelations. I've just recounted a few of
them. No doubt Paul had many more.
A thorn in the flesh. Look at this underliner was
given to me, a messenger of Satan, to buff at me.
Why? Lest I be exalted above measure.
In other words, lest I think more highly of myself than I
ought. Now, unless you think it's some
sort of trivial, insignificant sort of a thing, verse 8 he
goes, no, let me tell you concerning this thing, I pleaded
with the Lord three times. Now the phrasing here pleaded
with the Lord and three times here is in fact eerily similar
in the Greek to the description of Jesus in the Garden of
Gethsemane pleading himself three times.
God, if there'd be any other way past this cup.
And so here's this intensity now of struggle of of painful
experience that Paul is recounting this thorn in the
flesh is a very significant scenario.
Three times that it might depart from me.
So again, Paul shifts from the, excuse me, mountaintop, the
revelation, God in the heavenlies, to now this valley
with a single hard line to keep me from becoming conceited.
Because of these surprisingly great revelations, there was
given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me.
As I mentioned already, the word thorn there in the Greek has the
imagery of, again, Paul being a tent maker, a huge sort of
wooden stake, something very sharp.
So it indicates that it's painful, that it's persistent
for him. Paul never specifies the exact
nature of it. And that's caused many people to
speculate about what this is that he's referencing.
And scholars and and and readers have proposed many
possibilities. The main is to indicate that
it's in reference to Paul eyesight on the behalf of Paul
with all of these references through the scriptures of other
churches who would have liked to have given their eyes to him if
they could. A Paul at times saying, look how
big my font is that I'm penning this to you of some sort of a
condition where his eyes were constantly weeping, almost like
he had perpetual pink eye going on.
That's what some suggest. But here's some of the other
suggestions and speculations that it was a form of epilepsy,
some kind of chronic illness, Some spiritualize it, that it's
in reference to spiritual opposition, but I don't
necessarily agree with that. That seems to be more of a
physical thing. Some suggest aggressive critics
and and one Scottish Bible commentator suggested it was in
reference to Paul's wife. I think maybe this guy had
issues with his wife that he's probably putting that up in his
commentary. But whatever it was, it was
painful, it was personal, it was persistent for Paul and, and
here's the point for you and I in that.
And I think the ambiguity in exactly what it was makes this
less and more universal, applicable for you and I because
whatever your thorn, whatever your stake, the principle
applies. So notice these truths about the
thorn that he referenced. The thorn is both demonic and
permitted. Did you see that?
Paul calls it a messenger of Satan, which means that the
enemy used it. Think of Job, the Old Testament
book of Job, right? The story we're introduced to is
Satan comes into the very presence of God Almighty, and
God brings up Job. Job's probably been on earth
when he's experiencing. Why did you mention me?
And God says, have you seen my man, my servant Job?
The challenge comes Satan to God.
He only worships you, God, because you're like a genie in
the bottle to him. You bless him, take away those
things, touch him and he'll curse you to his grave.
So this comes forward through and so on.
But God allowed the point here. God permitted Satan literally to
be used against Job in that story.
This is the idea here that's being brought forward by Paul in
this that that the text reads as a God aloud or gave it so that
Paul would not become conceited. I'll permit God effectively said
in his heavenly throne room of decision making.
I will permit this messenger of Satan to buffet Paul.
I'll allow it and I'll in fact use it.
And Paul says God gave it to me. It sounds paradoxical, but
Scripture here holds these both realities that Satan is
attacking and and God is permitting for Paul's good.
And that blows our minds. But the purpose we need to
understand is, is this. It's protective and formative.
And why? Because at the heart of it is
this great sin of pride. Don't we see again and again of
pride being the downfall, undoing so many leaders and
ruining so many Saints? And so God loved Paul and, and
Paul's ministry so much that he saw fit that Paul needed this.
So that should it not be there, pride could have potentially
filled Paul's heart and bring the downfall to the ministry and
work of Paul that God was using. And the thorn guarded Paul's
heart against spiritual inflation and elevation of
himself, and in fact preserved Paul for the long run.
But Paul pleaded, he begged 3 times for relief.
It says this means that he prayed earnestly.
Oh man, have you ever prayed earnestly?
Fervently and so Paul's petitions here weren't flippant
nor casual. Oh God, could you just kind of
deal with this for me thanks cheers see you next time now
this here it makes the answer then because of the pleading and
the urgency of it then more meaningful from God.
God's no wasn't indifferent here.
It was purposeful. So note the sequence.
Well, Paul's plea, Lord, remove it.
God's purpose. Paul, you need it and God's
promise. But my grace is sufficient for
you. And sometimes God does not
change our circumstances. And this is an area that we need
to be mindful of in our prayers. And I'll give three ways that we
can pray about situations and circumstances.
They come across our path because often our first port of
call when we pray is to pray for escape.
Lord, deliver me from this. And that's often a prayer that
we pray for other people when they explain a situation or a
circumstance that is like a veritable thorn in the flesh.
And I understand that, and we're sympathetic and we're empathetic
towards them. But God here in Paul's
situation, in his circumstance, whatever this steak was,
whatever this thorn in the flesh was, whatever this messenger of
Satan buffeting him was, God said, no, Paul, I'm actually
going to use this. I'm actually going to change
this, and it will benefit you. But Charles Spurgeon put it this
way. He once said, I have learned to
kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.
And it's often true, isn't it, that in difficulty, in intensity
of trial and circumstance, where do we go?
God help. We cling to God so much more.
Paul's thorn was that wave. It hurt, but it drove him closer
to Christ. So I believe every believer
here, you and I tonight has a thorn of some sort.
You're saying a thorn? I've got multiple thorns,
Israel, some pain, some weakness, some limitation.
Maybe God's allowing to humble us, to keep us holy.
Maybe yours is physical, Maybe yours is emotional.
Maybe it's relational, spiritual.
And you've prayed for relief. You've begged 3 times.
I've begged 300 times, but heaven seems silent.
So understand what seems to you and I as unanswered.
Prayer doesn't mean God's neglect.
It may mean God's perfecting work is in progress.
Mr Dahan's book Broken Things illustrates a $5 steel bar he
writes becomes $10 when beaten into horseshoes, becomes $350.00
when broken into medical needles, becomes $250,000 when
broken into watch springs. More valuable is this steel bar
after hammering and polishing. Fawns in our flesh are not about
our lives being comfortable. And that's usually why we're
praying God deliver me for escape.
But God is forging godly character far more valuable in
you and I. So we need to to learn to see as
God's servants that the thorn then is not punishment against
us, but preparation. And so if God humbles you in
this regard, be teachable. And when God allows difficulty,
don't assume you're being rejected.
Ask instead, God, what is this doing in me?
Want me to see your purpose, to understand your plan.
And so learn to pray in these three ways.
Yes, we can pray to escape, and that might be God's deliverance
for us. It's very honest and human for
us to do that. God, help Get Me Out of this.
But failing an answer in that regard, pray then for this.
Pray to endure. God, give me the strength with
this thorn in the flesh, this messenger of Satan buffeting me,
Help me to endure, to stand up against it.
And then thirdly, pray to enlist.
Ask God. God, what is your purpose?
What is your plan that you're allowing that you're permitting
this in my life for see it as, yeah, maybe demonic in origin,
that Satan is trying to use it to attack, but that God has
allowed it, that he has permitted it for some reason,
some purpose for his glory and your good thorn's purpose again,
is not punitive. It's productive, it's
preservative. It keeps us small in the best
possible sense, small enough for God's greatness to fill us.
And this is our Third Point here, verses 9 and 10, The power
of grace. God strengthens us within.
He said to me, Paula prayed 3 times.
God answered him, My grace, grace again, undeserved favour
unmerited. Nothing that you've done Paul,
to deserve it, but I'm giving it to you.
My grace is sufficient, meaning everything that you need is
sufficient for you. Why My strength is made perfect.
That word perfect means complete, full in weakness.
Therefore, Paul replies most gladly, I will rather boast in
my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities.
This is not some macabre sort of mindset.
We'll explain it here in a moment.
In reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for
Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am
strong. And finally, we arrive at the
heart of the passage here. Paul.
He presses for an answer after this third petition.
God, deliver me from this, deliver me from this, deliver me
from this. And God's reply, brief but
eternal. My grace is sufficient for you,
Paul. My power is made perfect in
weakness. What a reply, those short words
but carry the weight of salvation and of ongoing
ministry in Paul's life. 4 words.
My grace is sufficient grace not only a reference to past
forgiveness, but here in this context present provision,
future formation, and hope and promises made being delivered.
The word sufficient implies continuous supply in Paul's
life. God will have enough for today's
needs and tomorrow's and the next days and next weeks and
next months and on. If you're fearful of the future
and what that might hold, may this verse bring courage to your
soul. Tonight.
My power is made perfect in weakness.
And here I understand this. God's power doesn't just
compensate for weakness, it is in fact displayed in it.
Perfect again means complete, means full.
And Paul's response then to that declaration from God, is this
all right? I'm going to rest in your grace.
I'm going to enjoy your grace, God, he says.
Now I'm going to in fact boast all the more gladly of these
weaknesses. I love my thorn in the flesh.
It doesn't become again, masochist here, delighting in
pain for the sake you feel the pain you didn't like have cold
showers and ice baths in the morning.
And he wasn't, you know, embracing that kind of thing.
But rather it's about now him intentionally reframing
suffering where he is weak. He now understands it.
OK, Christ is going to be revealed as strong, and the
thorn now becomes a pulpit for God's power to be preached.
So tonight, rest in grace. It's all sufficient, all you
need. When resources fail, when
reputation fades, when fatigue comes, look for God's
sufficiency rather than your capacity to fix it.
I'll sort it out. I'll solve it, and I'll grind
and I'll make it happen. I'll pull myself up by my
bootstraps and I'll I'll take care of it Both.
Not in your stamina, in your capacity, but in your Saviour.
Make your testimony less about self.
I did this, more about Christ's sustaining power at work in you.
And so to do that, we need to practise dependence, I think
daily. That's why the Bible tells us to
deny ourselves, take up our cross, follow Jesus, to take
those steps that require God's enabling in our lives.
So let prayer be your first resource.
If you've got steak sticking out of all parts of your body
tonight and you haven't been praying, man, can I say pray?
Let prayer be your first resource, not the desperate last
resort, but when pain returns, repeat God's word.
My grace is sufficient. Let the Scripture become like
muscle memory in this way, so that when you're fatigued, when
you're overwhelmed, man, I I'm feeling this way.
I don't know what's going on, but here's what I do know.
The Bible says my grace is sufficient.
Power will become strong in weakness and then use your
weakness, in fact, to serve others.
Many times in our weakness, in our thorns, in the flesh, what
do we do? We withdraw ourselves from
others. We hold pity parties and invite
people over so that they can hear about what we're going
through and how bad it is and what's happening.
You know, what is a good thing to do is to allow the very
weakness, that very maybe area that we're tempted to hide,
become the platform for empathy and ministry, for God to use us
for his power to come through in our weakness.
And so in short, grace doesn't necessarily remove the thorn.
It does remove the thorns ability to rule you and define
you. And don't we know people like
that where they're so defined by the thorn in the flesh?
You know, OK, I'm going to have a conversation with so, so and
so. How long is it going to take
before they bring it up? Oh, you won't believe it Again,
not to diminish that, but rather to suggest that that has become
a means of their identity. And our identity is not that.
Our identity is Christ Jesus. So when you rely on God,
weakness now becomes the stage for Christ's power to come
through. So then this is the the paradox
that Paul presents for us, that I hope through the power of the
Holy Spirit tonight and the word of God will change everything in
yours and my life and us as a fellowship.
Paul has moved from this glorious revelation of the
heavenlies and then back to the grind, back to the thorn in the
flesh, the revelation, the vision, and then the
vulnerability, the thorn. But he says both were gifts for
the same end, to keep Paul dependent on God and to be
fruitful in his service unto him.
He says it plainly, for when I am weak, then I am strong.
So how does this change us tonight as we've read these
verses and we finish now? If God gives you revelation
insight, receive it. Understand it as commissioning
that that comes with a calling, a purpose, not as currency for
pride. Serve more, boast less.
If God allows pain or limitation, ask how it might be
forming you God. What's your purpose in this?
It might be more like God. What's your purpose in this?
That might be how we're praying it.
But pray to enlist it for the Kingdom of God and His purposes
and for His use, rather than a form of escapism.
And if God's grace is the answer, my grace is sufficient.
Let that truth reshape your identity.
You are not ultimately what you do.
You are what Christ is in you so again, many of us, we can pray
like Paul prayed Lord take this away and God sometimes answers
yes, I'll do that. Praise the Lord.
We say Hallelujah. Sometimes Jesus answer is wait,
no, not yet. And sometimes his answer is with
the deeper life changing no, my grace is sufficient.
And we need to learn to hear all those answers and to live
faithfully in each. So tonight, as we close our
Bibles and get ready to pray, wherever you are, on the
mountaintop in the heavenlies, the very throne room of God like
Paul describing, I'm in paradise.
Or in the low valley, I don't know what thorn, what steak,
what messenger of Satan is buffeting you tonight.
May you and I become someone who says, with Paul, I will boast
gladly in my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest on
me. You know what happens when you
and I get there. With that we we discover the
strangest and most wonderful thing.
Weakness in our lives will no longer be merely a problem to
solve. It will be the place where God's
greatness is made known.