God's Grace is Sufficient 2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul the apostle told the church members he “begged the Lord three times that” his “thorn”, which was “Satan's messenger”, might be removed , and in chapter twelve and verse nine of Second Corinthians, Paul wrote God's answer, “my grace is sufficient for you” where we read:

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The verse begins, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul began with the words, “and he said” which means “God spoke, declared, uttered and proclaimed” “unto me” or “to Paul”, “My grace” which refers to “God's joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, goodwill, loving-kindness and unmerited favor” “is sufficient” or “strong, enough and content” “for you” or “for Paul”: “for my strength” which means “because and since God's power, might and ability” “is made perfect” or “is accomplished, brought to an end and complete” “in weakness” which means “in want of strength, infirmity and frailty”. God's answer to Paul's prayer was that His “unmerited favor” was “perfect and complete” because it was demonstrated greatest in Paul's “feeble and frail” state.

The verse continues, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul added the words, “most gladly” which means “with great pleasure” “therefore” or “accordingly, consequently and these things being so” “will I rather glory” which means “would Paul vaunt, boast, joy and rejoice” “in my infirmities” which refers to “Paul's want of strength, feebleness and frailty”, “that the power” or “so the strength, might and ability” “of Christ” or “the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God” “may rest” which means “might be fixed, inhabited, possess and abide” “upon me” or “on Paul”. Because the “grace” of God would be “made complete” in Paul's “weaknesses”, Paul “boasted and rejoiced” in his “feebleness and frailty” with great pleasure because “Jesus Christ's” “power, might and ability” would be upon him.

When we think through these words of Paul, we see how God did not remove his “thorn” as he requested even though he begged three times, but rather extended to him His “grace” which was “perfect and complete” even in “weakness”. God does not always remove our “sufferings”, but extends to us His “unmerited favor”, and because Jesus Christ His Son has become our focal point, God would rather have us “dependent” upon Him in our “infirmities” so “Christ's power” may “abide” upon us. May we read and understand this beautiful idea of God and “rejoice” that His “grace is sufficient” for all we need.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “I take pleasure in infirmities”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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