Ever read these verses from 2 Corinthians and been a bit confused? I know I have. I mean, what exactly is a thorn in my flesh? And how exactly is it that a thorn in my flesh will keep me from being conceited?
For the first time today, I encountered this passage of scripture as written in The Message.
Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
"My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness."
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
Sometimes all it takes is another interpretation. I just love this, "what he in fact did was push me to my knees...no danger then of walking around high and mighty." Nope, if I'm on my knees the only way to look is UP to the One I'm serving. Thorn in the flesh, handicap, struggle, accident, bad break - whatever you call it - it's the gift that keeps us from trying to climb our wee little selves up into the throne belonging to the Almighty.
I like bible gateway so much because I can easily go from translation to translation when I am trying to get a grasp on a verse or 2.
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