“For My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

God gave the apostle Paul the secret of overcoming life.

1) Paul was taken to Paradise.

2) He heard things he wasn’t allowed to repeat.

3) To prevent spiritual pride, God gave him a thorn in the flesh.

4) Paul asked Christ to remove the thorn three times.

5) Christ said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

6) Paul realizes, the grace that God will give him to deal with the thorn will glorify God more than the removal of the thorn. Paul trust that God knows what’s best, and submits to the Lordship of Christ.

7) In every trial, you have a choice. You can either “kick against the goad”, or trust “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).) If you don’t want His purpose fulfilled in your life, you’ll get out from under His Lordship, and fail the trial. But if you want His purpose more than your temporary will, you’ll say, “Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong”.

If Christ had removed the thorn, Paul wouldn’t have lived as victorious a life and you wouldn’t be reading about this now.

If you want the power of Christ to rest upon you, you must do two things. 1) Realize God uses trials to sanctify you for His purpose, and 2) Choose to cooperate with His purpose instead of escaping the trial.

Are you aware you are weak in yourself? You’re halfway there. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

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