Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. —2 Corinthians 12:8
It’s not wrong to ask God to remove the thorn from our lives. But here’s the key: after we plead, we have to come to a place of submission to the will of God. We must be willing to receive God’s answer, whether He says “yes” or “no.”
God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God didn’t choose to remove Paul’s affliction, and He didn’t give Paul an explanation for why He let that thorn remain. Instead, God gave Paul something better: His grace, so that Paul would continually have to rely on God for strength.
God knew about Paul’s thorn; He knew how it felt. But God had a purpose that was bigger than relief of Paul’s pain at that moment—as He does for you. When you are in the middle of an affliction, you can trust that God sees, He knows, He cares, and He has not abandoned you.
Make it Personal
How could God be using the difficulties in your life to make you rely solely on His strength rather than your own?