The End Result

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
As one whose testimony is rooted in pride, I understand this from the Apostle Paul, yet seemingly that statement itself seems prideful. Pride is the root of all sin; pride is the reason from which Satan was cast from heaven, he wanted to be like God. Pride grows in the Garden of Eden when they followed Satan’s lead and wanted to be like God, and then we have the Fall of Man into sin forever. It takes deep reflection and somewhat heavenly revelations, but you can trace much of your sins struggles also back to pride; it is a byproduct of the sin-nature that lies within us, all of us. Pride is as sly as the devil himself, many time creeping in unknowingly to ourselves, but God knows….and sometimes even those around us see it too. God knows the conditions of our hearts, why we do what we do, even when it is represented in a different light to those here. Pride may be at more of your root struggles than you care to admit.

If you read the context of this passage, you see this is on the heels of Paul, almost covertly, boasting of what God has shown him. You must understand what Paul has seen, and where Paul has been. 1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago -whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows -such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man -whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows – 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. (NASB) Grasp the understanding that Paul has been to Heaven, has been to the highest Heaven in God’s presence, and returned with that revelation. Grasp that he has been with God, and now imagine in our lifetime now what headlines that would be. Once the news got out, social media would explode, seven figure contracts would be at his feet, and his name would be praised more that the One he visited…… God knew he had to keep Paul humble even in a day seemingly simpler than these. He still would have been elevated to a King’s status, and worshipped accordingly. Paul’s heart was right with God, and I believe Paul understood the thorn in his flesh that God had given him was that. It was uncomfortable, and most scholars agree it was physical (maybe eyesight), but regardless it was an act of God for Paul’s good, and an act of God that Paul could use to point others to God through their own struggles.

You are no different from Paul; you have struggles too and many times plea with God to take them away, many times for God to heal those he has not chosen to heal. God is sovereign on an unfathomable level; the designer, sustainer, and ruler of all in his universe. We are the pinnacle of his creation and designed to draw glory to Him in all that we do. Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Grasp that God has flowed all time through his hands, that he does not recognize the restraints of the time he placed upon us. He sees the past, present, and future all the same, therefore the complexities of the struggles we see and feel, he sees the end result, before the struggle even started.