2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
CONTEXT – Paul’s claim is that God had given him a “thorn in his flesh” (2 Cor 12:7) in order to prevent him from becoming conceited because of his powerful experiences and revelations from God (verses 1-4). He said that he had pleaded with God to remove this “messenger from Satan” (2 Cor 12:8) but God’s reply was verse 9. Jesus said to him:
MY grace – It’s God’s grace, not man’s grace that is going to be sufficient. Look to God for this grace.
GRACE – definition – Grace is the help or strength given through the atonement (i.e. work of Jesus on the cross) of Jesus Christ. It is a gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son just because God desires us to have it, not necessarily because of anything we have done to earn it.” (Grace in Christianity, Wikipedia)
IS – for now; the present; it is always sufficient, for He is the great “I AM,” the ever-present and living God.
SUFFICIENT – means enough, adequate, ample, abundant, plenty. Christ is our Sufficiency – meaning Christ has all the power and strength that is capable to meet all our needs.
Our problem – fear of lack. Solution – always remember Christ is our Sufficiency. Whatever we are lacking, He has the power to make it sufficient.
MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS – implies that when you are strong, or think you are, His power is not made perfect. It cannot manifest in its fullness. Adversely, when you think you are weak, that is when God could manifest His perfect power through you. When you think you don’t qualify, you are His best choice! For God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called!
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” – 1 Cor. 1:27-29
THEREFORE, I WILL BOAST … ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES, SO THAT CHRIST’S POWER MAY REST ON ME – Notice the change of perspective and attitude in Paul. He began to view the “thorn” as a blessing. He was happy to glory in it, or to praise God for it. He looked beyond the weakness and pain to the glorious fruit that God was bringing into his life, for it forced him to stay close to God that he might experience His strength.
SUMMARY:
Paul’s prayer was that God would remove the “thorn” in his flesh. But God’s answer was “No.” However, this did not mean that God was leaving Paul to struggle on his own. God promised to grant him His grace to go through his difficulty. Paul’s “thorn” turned out to be a blessing to him for he was able to experience God’s perfect grace in his life.
During this time, we have been praying to God to remove the “thorn” of covid-19 out of our circumstances. But up to this point, His answer appears to be “No.” However, He will not leave us nor forsake us, and will provide His grace to go through the challenges. His grace is sufficient and capable of taking us through our trials and difficulties. In the days ahead, when we look back, may we view this difficult time as a blessing for it gives us an opportunity to experience God’s perfect grace!
Prayer: Lord, we are weak but You are strong. As we go through this difficult time, we look to Your promise to provide us Your Grace. We trust that Your grace is sufficient to give us the strength and power to overcome, and to bring forth the fruit that You desire in our lives. Amen.
Your Grace Is Enough – https://youtu.be/wtnE_e1LylY
His Grace Is Sufficient (Hymn) – https://youtu.be/YbnrjIegsjU