His Power in Our Weakness

II Corinthians 12
v. 7b: Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.
v. 8: Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me.
v. 9: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christs power may reside in me.
v. 10: So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophies, in persecutions and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

As I read these words today, I am in my 4th week of home-rest due to a cough that is now under the care of a pumonologist. The coughing has caused two of my ribs to misalign from my sternum...OUCH!! Frustrating? You have no idea. And yet, during this time, God is revealing truth to me; He is giving me a hunger for his word; He is prompting me to write about my studies in His word on my blog. He is not only revealing His power to me but through me to you who are reading my blog. In my weakness, He is strong!!

I can't help but think of two people who have had an enormous thorn in the flesh and God's immense power radiates through them.



Joni Eareckson Tada



The first is Joni Eareckson Tada. As a teenager, Joni was healthy, athletic and strong. But one fateful afternoon while swimming at a lake with friends, Joni dove into a shallow end of the lake. Her life changed dramatically when she broke her neck and became quadriplegic. She went from being healthy and independent to needing help with every day tasks that we do without thinking. I know we can't begin to fathom the frustration, the anger, the hopelessness and the fear she must struggle with. She contemplated suicide. She questioned God. But now, 44 years later, she has a worldwide ministry as an author, speaker, radio host, artist, singer as well as providing thousands of wheelchairs to disabled people worldwide through her ministry, Wheels for the World. Could she have reached the people she has reached had this not happened? Would she have the heart for the disabled if she didn't understand? Could those with disabilities relate to her if she were not in the wheelchair? Would our hearts be as touched when we see her sing praises to God and speak of His love if she weren't in the chair? Does she want healing? I'm sure she would say, "Yes." Can God heal her? Of course.

II Corinthians 4
v. 16: Therefore, we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day-by-day.
v. 17: For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.



Nick Vujicic

 Nick Vujicic is another person whose life displays the amazing power of God. Nick was born with no arms and no legs. He is now 28 years old and loves God passionately. Though he has obvious limitations, he swims, plays golf, surfs, and texts, facebooks, and twitters on his iphone with one of the two tiny feet God has given him. But, like Joni, he also has a worldwide ministry that takes him to schools, churches, prisons and foreign lands. He has starred in a mini-film called "The Butterfly Circus" that has earned several awards and is slated to be made into a full-length feature film. It's not always been easy for him. He struggled with kids at school...that is until he bloodied the nose of the biggest bully with a headbutt. He attempted suicide as a young boy but changed his mind in the midst and stopped it. Does he believe God can heal him? Yes. So much so, that he has a pair of shoes in his closet, just in case. Until then, God's power and love show strong  in this man and he continues to touch the lives of so many around the world.

Joni Eareckson and Nick Vujicic

God wants to show HIS power in this world so that we would know Him. Sometimes He shows that in healing, as Jesus described when He and His disciples saw a man who was blind from birth. His disciples asked Jesus if he or his parents sinned to cause this.

John 9:
v. 3: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," Jesus answered. "This came about so that God's work might be displayed in him."

But sometimes He shows it in our weakness.

Don't believe you've done something wrong or your faith is not strong enough if you continue to struggle with your own thorn of the flesh. Continue praying for God's healing but be willing to rejoice in the thorn if that is what God chooses to show His power in your life.