His Grace Should Be Sufficient For You

2 Corinthians 12:1-9

"It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago- whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows- how he was caught up to the third 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 into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will 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".

"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'."

Therefore 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."

Paul is telling on himself. He is confessing his sin to us. Necessary, he says, so that we determine to avoid the same exercise of self-service. Paul as we know was an apostle. He has experienced and will experience (as will all spirit-filled, spirit-led christians) visions and revelations of the Lord. It seems Paul had grown boastful with those experiences, reporting his exaltation "above measure" or what it should have been in Jesus Christ. He goes now so far as to speak of his experiences as "a man he knows". No self-exaltation there. He had been corrected.

During his self-exaltation, a thorn in the flesh was given to him, a messenger of Satan. Whose desire is it that we be not exalted above measure? During the time when Paul was experiencing the thorn in the flesh, he pleaded with the Lord (as you would expect) so IT would depart from him. The Lord's response was "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness". What the Lord had given Paul should have been enough for him for He certainly ministers life. In Him is all the fullness of the Godhead. His strength cannot nor will be made perfect in the strength of you. As there is less of you there is more room for Him! The Lord knew that, in the trial, Paul would turn from his strength to the One who created all things, and would be made free from the bondage of his self-service!

Contentment rejoices in His sufficiency.