Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: 2 Corinthians 12 and Psalm 130

It’s tempting to think that a man who was so favoured by the Lord as to have been granted a vision of the heavenly Paradise would not experience suffering. Surely God’s favour rested on him, and he would sail through life? Not so for Paul. It’s almost certain that Paul was writing about his own experience of Paradise in v.1-4. Yet he asserts that “to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment …” (v.7 GNT).

Paul experienced the same physical, mental, emotional and spiritual struggles we all so often encounter when faced with suffering. But this suffering was not the consequence of some sin Paul had committed. God allowed it precisely because of the profound vision of Paradise that Paul had been blessed to see and hear. God’s purpose in allowing Paul’s suffering was to prevent him from falling into the mortal danger of pride.

That’s why, when Paul prayed for deliverance and healing from this ailment, the Lord politely turned down his plea. He explained to Paul that His grace was all Paul needed. In fact, God’s power was most at work in Paul when he was weakest (v.9). This ailment was not a stumbling block to Paul experiencing the power and goodness of God. It was a means to experiencing even more of the goodness, power and grace of God in his life, as he learned to rely on the Lord more completely in his weakness. Paul had learned to be content and even to be ‘proud of’ the weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties he faced, because:

“When I am weak, then I am strong.” (v.10)

Those who have great faith in God do not escape life’s hardships. However, when such hardships come they show their great faith by viewing them not as obstacles but as opportunities for the power of God to transform them into the image of Christ.

Life application: Are you facing some kind of suffering? Admit how hard it is. Pray for the Lord’s deliverance. And, for as long as you are made to endure it, trust that the Lord will use it to grow you into the likeness of Jesus. His power will be perfected in your experience of His grace enabling you to face and overcome the season of suffering.