Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 2 Corinthians 12:8 (NIV)
Growing up I was always a mama’s boy, there was no place my mother could go that I did not want to tag along. One evening my mother was going to the supermarket so I asked if I could accompany her, and she granted my request. Once we arrived at the store we walked through the aisles, and there was one aisle that I looked forward to, the toy aisle. We entered the aisle and I looked at the toys and there was an action figure I seen, I asked my mother for this toy, and she responded I am not spending that much on a toy so find something cheaper. In my head I was thinking that was an unwanted response lady, lol, but I found a toy that was sufficient for the budget.
The Apostle Paul tells of this thorn in the flesh and three times pleading for the Lord to take the thorn away, but the Lord’s response is, “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”[1] What happens when you ask God for a request and the response is unwanted, unwanted because it doesn’t provide you with the answer you are looking for? Three times this man pleaded for the Lord to remove the thorn and the Lord doesn’t say maybe or yes, but rather I will provide you with grace to live with the thorn ultimately saying no to the removal. Lord, I don’t want to live with this thorn, it doesn’t mean that you can’t provide me with grace, but I didn’t even ask for this thorn that was given. At times we plead with God because we must accept things we did not ask for, not only was the thorn unwanted but the response from the Lord, that the thorn would not be removed was also unwanted. There are moments in our lives that we are forced to live with the unwanted responses, but we must also learn how to live with the wanted as well as the unwanted. I believe Job said it best, “shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”[2] Amidst our unwanted responses the Lord provides in a sufficient way, thank God for grace to live with the unwanted.
Be blessed!
[1] 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
[2] Job 2:10 (NIV)
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