2 Corinthians 12:7-10

As None of us enjoys experiencing weakness — we’d all prefer to be self-sufficient.  But the truth is that even the best of human strength is weak and faulty when compared to God’s.  His power is limitless (Jeremiah 32:17).

The Lord can bring about dramatic changes in our life, but when that happens, we must be careful not to take the credit.  Rather, we should recognize ourselves as branches, whose vitality and successes are due to our connection with God, the One pictured as the vine (John 15:5).  In 2 Corinthians 4:7, the apostle Paul used a perfect image to describe this dynamic: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”

Paul certainly faced adversity: He had been imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked, and persecuted.  Moreover, he struggled continually with a personal ailment, which he referred to as his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7).  God used these things in Paul’s life to keep him centered on divine power, not his own.  What weaknesses are present in your life that God may be using to keep your eyes on Him?  Praise Him today for anything that leads you to depend on Him alone.

Hardship can be a gift that helps us
 learn to depend on the Lord.