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. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
I don’t think I have ever delighted in or boasted about my weaknesses. Normally, I pray for them to go away just as Paul originally prayed for his weakness to be taken away from him. Yet the response Paul receives from God provides its own comfort. While God is not taking away the difficulty, He is bringing His mighty power into the situation.
Many people face challenges and difficulties that seem insurmountable. Yet God’s power is most visible in weakness. When we know we cannot overcome the difficulty in our own strength, we are most aware of God’s power working in our lives.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for providing Your strength in my weakness. I ask that you help me to look on my difficulties with new eyes. May I see them as opportunities to feel Your power in my life. May I always trust in Your strength and not my own. Amen.