SOAP

Scripture for today:

Psalm 124; 2 Corinthians 11-13

Key Verse for today:

2 Corinthians 12: 7To 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. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Observation:

Even though Paul was converted on the road to Damascus God still had him to deal with a thorn. This thorn is unknown but is often speculated with no clear answer. This thorn kept Paul on knees to Christ as he longed to the thorn to be taken away. Christ was not going to take the thorn because when we are weak we are strong if our dependence is in Christ.

Application: Thorns are in all our walks. There are things that cause us pain in which we pray to be delivered from God. Many times Satan lives in these weaknesses and uses the pain to discourage or plant doubt in our faith. But, when we remain faithful in our weaknesses God in His majesty makes us strong. If we are not faithful we usually have a walk that is inconsistent.

Prayer: May my thorn not get me discouraged in being weak.