Morning — Grace Sufficient for Every Trial

Paul prayed three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, and three times God said no — but not without reason. God's answer was better than removal: "My grace is sufficient for thee." The thorn remained, but grace flooded in to more than compensate. And in that exchange, Paul discovered a paradox that has encouraged saints for two thousand years: when we are weak, then we are strong.

We would rather have our thorns removed. We would rather God took away the struggle, the pain, the limitation. But God, in His infinite wisdom, sometimes leaves the thorn and multiplies the grace. For it is in our weakness that His power is displayed most gloriously. A self-sufficient Christian is a contradiction — we were designed to depend upon God.

Whatever thorn you carry into this day — a chronic illness, a difficult relationship, a persistent temptation, a season of doubt — hear the Lord say to you: "My grace is sufficient." Not barely sufficient, not grudgingly sufficient, but abundantly, overflowingly, gloriously sufficient. His grace is enough. It has always been enough. And it will always be enough.