8.26-Turning a weakness into a strength.
Are you a follower of Jesus who has a fleshly problem that with all your prayers and best efforts you have not been able to overcome. Paul had something he called a thorn in the flesh.
To me it seems that he found this to be humbling.
He saw it as a messenger from Satan to torment him.
It kept him humble.
He prayed and implored the Lord about it.
He kept the weakness, but learned to rely more upon God's strength.
He came to rejoice in God's strength and power.
He learned to become content with weaknesses
with insults.
with distresses.
with persecutions.
with difficulties.
The advantage spiritually was that God showed him how to turn a weakness into a strength.
2 Cor. 12.
7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to [ac]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast [ad]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with [ae]insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
To me it seems that he found this to be humbling.
He saw it as a messenger from Satan to torment him.
It kept him humble.
He prayed and implored the Lord about it.
He kept the weakness, but learned to rely more upon God's strength.
He came to rejoice in God's strength and power.
He learned to become content with weaknesses
with insults.
with distresses.
with persecutions.
with difficulties.
The advantage spiritually was that God showed him how to turn a weakness into a strength.
2 Cor. 12.
7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to [ac]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast [ad]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with [ae]insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
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