I don’t like spiders. Not even a little bit. As a child, the majority of my nightmares would somehow involve spiders. My relationship with spiders has stayed pretty consistent throughout the years…minus the nightmares of course. Thankfully, I now have 2 little spider-killers in the form of Jackson and Callen who are more than happy to help me out. This is good, as spiders in Georgia are 3 times the size as spiders in Pennsylvania where I grew up! I think God knew that I would not have been able to handle these spiders as a child and mercifully allowed me to grow up in the north =).
We all have little things that we fear. Things that make us shudder. But these small fears we can all pale in comparison to the big burdens or fears that we may carry in our hearts. The fear of losing a loved one, an unexpected health diagnosis, a low self-image or insecurity.
II Corinthians 12:1-6 Paul tells of special experiences and revelations he received from the Lord. In verse 7 he says:
“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.”
Whatever this “thorn in the flesh” may have been, we know that first of all it was not something that was pleasant for Paul. Also, he tells us that the Lord gave it to him to keep him humble as he had received what we may consider “special treatment” from the Lord.
Paul pleaded with God to take away this burden in his life! At the time, he probably felt it was more than he was able to bear. In verse 9, Paul goes on to record God’s reply to his plea.
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
When Paul realized the Lord was indeed not planning on taking away his burden, he accepted his trial without complaint. When he understood that God had allowed this difficulty in his life to bring God glory, his immediate response was to rejoice! He understood the glorious truth that when we are humble, God is exalted. He goes on in verse 10 to say that he can take joy in persecution because “when I am weak, then am I strong.”
What powerful lessons we can learn from Paul’s experiences! We don’t have to fear the circumstances we find ourselves in, or worry about what the future may hold. We can rejoice because His grace is all we need.
God is more than sufficient!
If we are truly desiring the Lord’s will in our life then we will desire to see Him glorified no matter what circumstances in life that He puts us in, and no matter what trials God has in store for us. We can rejoice because God is being glorified through us!
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