Today's Verses: ⁷ To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 2 Co 12:7-9

Paul, of course, here speaks about some kind of physical impairment that aggravated him during his ministry. Some sources, like the Pulpit Commentary suggest that Paul was afflicted with ophthalmitis, or severe conjunctivitis, speculating that it may have been caused by the blinding glare of light that took place during his conversion.

Today's Comments: Whatever Paul's affliction may have been, it is indicative of common afflictions that we all suffer. And even those who suggest they are perfectly healthy suffer from at least one affliction, death. Eventually we are all going to get sick and die, even if the illness is just old age. On the other hand, God uses our weaknesses to give us strength. He also uses weakness in others to strengthen us. I will never forget the response that one of our church members gave to my late wife, when she asked why a group of ladies from the church would want to give several hours a week to spend with her, a severely disabled Multiple Sclerosis patient in a wheelchair. The response was, "because you are teaching us how to minister to others." Each of us, even with our disabilities, has a lesson to learn or a lesson to teach others, and it is God's grace that enables us to do things that we, ourselves, would normally not be capable of doing.