How many times have you asked God for a specific request, but God has answered in another way? You have wondered why, only to discover later that God's way is the best. Paul knew what that was like. He had to accept God's will for himself, even though it was not what he asked for. Two of Paul's many personal experiences are recorded in our reading. The first one lasted only a short period. The second one lasted a life-time. The first one was glorious. The second one was a nagging pain which never left him. In defending himself to the Corinthians Paul told of an experience which had happened 14 years previously. He had never mentioned it before. Now he felt he had to speak. Back there he had been lifted up into heaven where he saw and heard things which could not and should not be described. That was the first incident and we know very little of it. Now comes the second experience. A sensational vision like Paul had would tend to fill us with pride. We would no doubt write a book, 'My five minutes in Heaven'. It would be a best seller. But God knows our weaknesses, our pride. We are all very human. He knew He had to help Paul resist that same temptation. Paul said in v.4, 'To keep me from becoming conceited because of those surpassing great revelations, there was given me (notice those words) a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan ...' What was it? We are not told. It was much more than a rosethorn. The word is translated elsewhere as a stake, a sharpened stick. Something like that driven into our flesh would cause intense pain. Remember it was never removed. What did Satan have to do with it? God allowed Satan to introduce this thing into Paul's body. Yet at the same time God overruled and said, 'Paul, I'm going to use that thing to help you prove my grace.' That is the kind of God we have. He will do the same for us as He did for Paul. TOMORROW: 'My grace is sufficient for you.' |
沒有留言:
張貼留言