Day 5: Guardrails
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
Great, Omnipotent Father in heaven, You have given to us all the roles and assignments You determined according to Your will and Your purpose (1 Corinthians 12:27-28). And You have told us that to whom much is given...much will be required (Luke 12:48 - NKJV).
You know, Lord, all the obstacles on the path that lies within Your will and Your work, including our own temptation to pride. The apostle Paul was no stranger to any of these, and left us his encouraging testimony of Your grace and deliverance. But oh how Your grace and deliverance differ from anything we would envision or choose!
Even Paul at first recognized the thorn in his flesh only as a tormenting messenger of Satan, and pleaded three times for its removal. But Your answer revealed to him that You had allowed this "thorn" to guard him against pride and conceit, and to help him depend on Your grace in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
O Lord, Your ways are so far above ours! We don't fully understand all of the details of Paul's affliction and its source, but we understand enough to see that You allow some difficulties and attacks in our natural lives in order to guard us against greater spiritual danger. The Lord Jesus appealed to the same basic underlying principle when He taught:
If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away.... (Matthew 5:29-30).
Our Lord was speaking about adultery at the time, but the startlingly drastic language drives home the supreme importance of prioritizing spiritual well being over physical comfort, safety or protection. It was the same idea the Apostle Paul expressed when he wrote to the Roman believers: For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live (Romans 8:13).
Father, we often focus on Paul's testimony of Your sufficient grace. And it is certainly important. But help us not to miss another important truth: In Your perfect wisdom You allowed him a thorn in the flesh rather than allow a thicket of deadly pride in his soul.
Thank You for placing guardrails in our lives to deliver us from pride and conceit even when we don't understand Your ways. Help us to lean on You in our weakness, entrusting ourselves to the One who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy... (Jude 1:24 -KJV).
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