Monday; February 10
When you think about the Apostle Paul, what comes to mind? For most of us, we see a spiritually convicted individual who refused to back down to anyone. Even when he was wrong (like his early years when he persecuted the church), he had a fire in his belly. Yet, there is another side to Paul – one mentioned in the book of II Corinthians. In this letter to one of the churches close to him he describes a “thorn in the flesh”. While he doesn’t elaborate on the exact nature of the issue, he tells them about a struggle he is having. Here this almost unflappable spiritual leader admits to struggling. While he doesn’t describe the issue, he mentions that he had asked the Lord to relieve his burden, to which the Lord responds “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9). Paul may not have liked what was going on with him, but he saw that God could use it to His glory. When we struggle...