What would you say is most productive concerning the strengthening of our faith? Isn’t it in our trials and difficulties, which is when we are most vulnerable and sensitive; which is when we are to trust God the most for using everything to “work together for good” (Ro 8:28)? This is the best time to understand the permanency of our faith and salvation, as we always have these to stand on, and nothing else will do!
NC
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2Co 12:8, 9).
It is a natural thought, the first thought perhaps even for a godly soul, to desire an answer of the Lord in the removal of that which is trying and painful. We know His great compassion—that He cares for His own—that He feels for them and with them; and we are prone to gather from this that He must appear speedily for us when any blow, humiliation or sorrow comes upon us, especially that which would seem to make His glory be questioned and thwarted in various ways.
This is plainly so in Paul’s case before us. The enemy was taking full advantage of this “thorn” in the Apostles “flesh” to lower him and his work. We are disposed to expect an immediate answer from the Lord in the way of the removal of the trial. It was so with the Apostle himself. He cried to the Lord about it: he besought Him thrice that it might depart from him. It was not in order that He hear—the Lord heard him. But the Apostles had this great truth to learn: the Lord’s way of answering is much better than our way of beseeching.
Even were it the Apostle Paul—a man with such amazing knowledge of what was most suitable to God and most to be desired by His children—an Apostle had to learn that the Lord’s ways are above his ways. I believe that this desire of an answer from the Lord Jesus coming at once in the way of meeting us in our difficulty and sorrow, is rather one that was taught, and that God acted upon in His ways of old, in dealing with His ancient people Israel. When they were in any difficulty or trial, they cried to the Lord, and He always heard and delivered them out of troubles. But it is not necessarily so now. It is not always in removing the distress that our Father acts. This is not the characteristic way now with Christians (God uses trials to strengthen Christians faith—as “all things are for your sakes” - 2Co 4:15—NC).
I do not say that He does not deliver in many a case; for He pities the weakness of His children, and does not lay the same burden upon all. But there is something more blessed than the mere setting aside of the trial, and that is, the power of divine grace which enters into it, and lifts us above it; the distress, it may be, continuing, the sorrow going on, the thorn unremoved, but ourselves raised above it all. I believe that this heavenly way of meeting sorrow and trouble (Jn 14:1, 27), is especially the one in which our Father triumphs in His dealings with the Church.
It is a higher thing, the lifting us above in our spirit, even while sorrow may still be adhering to us. Perhaps there is a sharp trial, difficulty or that which is heart-breaking, even in the Church of God itself. The Apostle must know this in a way that seemed to frustrate all his desires for the blessing of the Church. For the thorn given him was an immense trial (hence asking thrice for its removal—NC) to himself and to everyone that loved him—appearing to be a hindrance even to the work of the Lord through him.
NC
Strength in Weakness!
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2Co 12:8, 9).
It is a natural thought, the first thought perhaps even for a godly soul, to desire an answer of the Lord in the removal of that which is trying and painful. We know His great compassion—that He cares for His own—that He feels for them and with them; and we are prone to gather from this that He must appear speedily for us when any blow, humiliation or sorrow comes upon us, especially that which would seem to make His glory be questioned and thwarted in various ways.
This is plainly so in Paul’s case before us. The enemy was taking full advantage of this “thorn” in the Apostles “flesh” to lower him and his work. We are disposed to expect an immediate answer from the Lord in the way of the removal of the trial. It was so with the Apostle himself. He cried to the Lord about it: he besought Him thrice that it might depart from him. It was not in order that He hear—the Lord heard him. But the Apostles had this great truth to learn: the Lord’s way of answering is much better than our way of beseeching.
Even were it the Apostle Paul—a man with such amazing knowledge of what was most suitable to God and most to be desired by His children—an Apostle had to learn that the Lord’s ways are above his ways. I believe that this desire of an answer from the Lord Jesus coming at once in the way of meeting us in our difficulty and sorrow, is rather one that was taught, and that God acted upon in His ways of old, in dealing with His ancient people Israel. When they were in any difficulty or trial, they cried to the Lord, and He always heard and delivered them out of troubles. But it is not necessarily so now. It is not always in removing the distress that our Father acts. This is not the characteristic way now with Christians (God uses trials to strengthen Christians faith—as “all things are for your sakes” - 2Co 4:15—NC).
I do not say that He does not deliver in many a case; for He pities the weakness of His children, and does not lay the same burden upon all. But there is something more blessed than the mere setting aside of the trial, and that is, the power of divine grace which enters into it, and lifts us above it; the distress, it may be, continuing, the sorrow going on, the thorn unremoved, but ourselves raised above it all. I believe that this heavenly way of meeting sorrow and trouble (Jn 14:1, 27), is especially the one in which our Father triumphs in His dealings with the Church.
It is a higher thing, the lifting us above in our spirit, even while sorrow may still be adhering to us. Perhaps there is a sharp trial, difficulty or that which is heart-breaking, even in the Church of God itself. The Apostle must know this in a way that seemed to frustrate all his desires for the blessing of the Church. For the thorn given him was an immense trial (hence asking thrice for its removal—NC) to himself and to everyone that loved him—appearing to be a hindrance even to the work of the Lord through him.
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