A Bad Year

Good Morning!

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (English Standard Version)
Paul’s Visions and His Thorn

1I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 12:7 Or hears from me, even because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited


“Drinking of the wine – the wine – the wine; drinking of the wine; O my Lord. I could have been there ten thousand days, drinking of the wine, the wine, the wine.”

A little inside passage for my son Jim and daughter Heather. When they were teens, the South Metro Baptist Association would have an annual gathering in March called “M” night. One year we had a dear preacher who spoke to us using the Scripture passage above and the recitation to grab our interest. As he spoke, his emphasis on the recitation grew increasingly emphatic until at the end, each phrase was almost shouted. He was talking about Paul and the trials Paul went through as a believer. A great sermon that I remember even thirty years later.

As I mentioned yesterday, I heard another great sermon. Now the preacher didn’t hit on this Scripture but as I was driving along Monday, my mind went to the thorn in Paul’s flesh. What drove me there was what the preacher shared about himself Sunday. He talked about his 2009. His first memory of 2009 was when he and his wife discovered that the baby they were expecting had died in vitro. A good friend of mine’s daughter had the same misfortune just a few weeks ago and I wept for them. But to make matters worse for this preacher – he and his wife were getting ready to move from Virginia to Georgia – and had gone by to tell her parents good bye. Her step father called the grandkids over to get a hug – and dropped dead of a heart attack. Then later in the year, the preacher was guest preaching at a church in Charlotte North Carolina. While waiting for the service to begin, his wife miscarried. You might say he had a bad year. Or, one might wonder where God was in all of this man’s life.

We don’t understand why tragedy strikes good people – but it does. I have a friend who served God faithfully as a missionary and has been unemployed for over two years. Another friend – also a former missionary – is looking for work even today. My friend whose daughter lost a child also lost a child many years ago. We sat in his office, listening to the Selah song about their loss, both of us with tears in our eyes, hurting for people we don’t even know but understanding the pain of loss. And we wonder….

Paul says “Three times I PLEADED with the Lord about this – that it should leave me.” I know about that, Paul, because I too have asked God the same. And Paul says that God told him – “My grace is sufficient for you – my power is made perfect in weakness.”

No – it doesn’t stop the hurt. The tears still flow. The sleepless hours still come. We are human – and living through adversity: weaknesses, hardships, persecutions, and calamites – is still tough. But when we place our faith and trust in Christ Jesus, our Lord – and lean on His powerful shoulders, we can know true strength. And get through another day – another week – another month – another year. God bless you and keep you all today. In Jesus’ name.

Agape’

Mr. Jim