Mon., 9/23/19 Devotion (2 Cor. 12:8-9a)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Corinthians 12:8 & 9a, where Paul wrote these words:

"Concerning this [thorn in the flesh] 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.' "

The very thing we typically believe hinders our service and love for God—is often the very thing that most powerfully forwards it. Paul passionately loath-ed his thorn in his flesh, whatever it was—and yet it had the effect of "deflat-ing" him, so that he thought little of himself, and much of Christ.

It is a very difficult thing to do, but we also may think in this counter-cultural and counter-intuitive way, as we actually thank God for the hardest trials we face. Even if they *never* go away in this life, they can have the savory influ-ence of causing us to love Jesus even more.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ does not bid us (says Augustine) learn of Him to work miracles, to open the eyes of the blind, to raise the dead, but He would have us learn of Him to be meek.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Beat-itudes"]