And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to buffet him from becoming proud because of the revelations he had received. He had many challenges during his life. A messenger from Satan was sent to weaken him. We live in a fallen and a sinful world and we will have challenges. Jesus asked the Father to be with us, to keep us and to not take us out of this world. We will get pressures from within our homes, churches and from the world. Challenges should not stop us from functioning in our divine calling.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12
Jesus said that we are blessed if we are persecuted. Persecution will come. When we take a stand for God , it is worth it (Luke 6:26). If we are not experiencing some type of persecution, we have to question if our light is really being shown in the world. When trials come, we should first seek God. God’s answer came back to Paul to show him that His grace is sufficient for every one of his trials. He wants to mature us, to help us to grow. God knows what we are going though and His grace is all that we need to sustain us. Grace is a strength that is released to us. We have to look to God and not to man. Only God can help us. He will guide us through His very Word. We must clothe ourselves in the Word and keep it in our hearts (Psalm 119:5-6). Psalm 91 must be our life.
God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. His perfect strength was revealed in Paul’s weakness to help him through his trials. His strength and His grace helps us to persevere when the enemy comes to tell us that we will not make it, that we will die. This is his job but God’s charge to us is to trust in His sufficiency.
When we receive a prophetic word, a war comes with it. We must remind God of what He said over our lives and over this church. Speak the Word of God aloud and declare it! We need some backbone and this is why trials come. They come to strengthen us. We don’t fight from a place of failure but from a place of victory. We are sons and joint heirs of the Most High God. Paul began to take pleasure in his trials for Christ’s sake for when he was weak then God’s strength took over. All these things should bring God glory. Paul had a sound, logical and biblical base on which to rejoice. We too are able to lift our heads above every circumstance because the Lord is our strength (Psalms 28:7).
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4
We are apart of an end time move of God that will usher in the purposes of God in the earth. We who have gone through and have not given up, will be used mightily to minister to others in the earth. God is shaking the earth. He is shaking those who think that they don’t need God. We must pray for them and walk in forgiveness.
