God could have eliminated Paul’s struggle in a moment, but He knew that Paul would receive a greater blessing and a greater lesson by learning to rely on God’s perfect strength through his difficulties. God knew that His grace would not manifest nor shine in a strong and self-sufficient person like it would in a man who suffered in weakness.

Rather than removing Paul’s distress, God used it to strengthen His servant and teach him about His faithfulness in all circumstances. By trusting the Savior, Paul learned so much about mercy and grace.

He discovered that no matter what he faced, God’s power and grace were available to him. Paul wrote, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Prayer: Father, I pray that You would use my weaknesses to draw me closer to You and to rely on You more. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“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” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

By Michael Youssef, Ph.D