Grace is Sufficient

To 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. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But 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.(2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

There is speculation about what that "thorn" in Paul's flesh was, but we can agree that the Apostle's problem helped keep him humble. Paul pleaded with the Lord to have it taken away, but the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for you..." Because the abundant grace we receive from God every single day will always be greater than all of the problems we encounter in our lives.

Self can get in the way of the flow of the grace of God, so the Lord allows problems to come into our lives in order to help keep us humble – to put us on our knees.