When I am Weak, I Am Strong

Well, the title of our study today, When I Am Weak, I Am Strong.

When I Am Weak, I Am Strong. And our Scripture focus can be found in 2 Corinthians 12. So let's open our Bibles together and turn to 2 Corinthians 12, where we actually find those words here. We're going to read 2 Corinthians and begin in verses 7 through 10. Now, as you turn there, what we're doing is we're breaking into a moment here in chapter 12, and we're really essentially coming to an extraordinary moment. And it's an extraordinary declaration from the Apostle Paul. You see, it's extraordinary because of the events that have been leading up here. They were and have been events that were incredibly difficult for Paul. He had been going through tremendous personal infirmities, tremendous outside accusations and persecutions, and they were all just at an unimaginable level. So it's been very difficult for Paul just to the distress both emotionally and physically that he had come to since he gave himself and surrendered to God and gave himself to the service of Jesus Christ. But here, right in the midst of it all, Paul comes and he has this moment of clarity. And in his expression of it, he provides to us, God's people, the essential perspective that we need as we surrender to God as well. So let's see this. 2 Corinthians 12. Let's read verses 7 through 10. He writes, verse 7, And lest I, Paul, 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 should be exalted above measure. Verse 8, Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength, the Lord says, is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly, I, Paul, will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in my infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I stop there. Incredible. Now, I'd like to begin this afternoon by asking a question. I may ask this question a few times today, and it's this. I wonder if you've ever considered the possibility that your weaknesses today, your limitations, your handicaps today, may actually prove to be the key in your usefulness to your service to God.

I'll just ask that again. This is important. Have you ever considered the possibility that your weaknesses, your limitations, your handicaps may actually be the key in your usefulness to God?

Now, I ask that because it's not uncommon for us to hear others say and even to hear ourselves say, for example, regarding limitations. I wish I wasn't such a quiet person, let's say. I think if I wasn't so quiet, I could probably be more useful to God. Or someone else in the room might say, well, if I was just a little bit quieter, you know, not so boisterous, I think I could be more useful to God. Or regarding a personal trial, one's saying, if my circumstances were only a little bit brighter, or if my health were only a little bit better, if I only had more strength, if my mind were only a little bit quicker, maybe, and it goes on, then I would be more useful to God. To reference Paul in earlier verses, if I wasn't an old clay pot, you know, if I was someone else besides myself, then in the discovery of this new person, I think I could be the kind of person that could be useful in the services and what God is looking for. And we're tempted to actually play the part that Paul suggests that we shouldn't by asking the question, should the clay say to the potter, why have you made me this way? Because one of the things we're tempted to do when we find ourselves confronted with infirmities, reproaches, various needs, persecutions, distresses, when we're confronted with our limitations, our handicaps, our weaknesses, we're tempted to look upon others and to say, you know, I wish I could be a little bit more like him, or I wish I could be a little bit more like her. If only I could be like them, I could be far more useful. Well, as those thoughts begin to roll in, you may not realize it, but what you're essentially saying, and I'm saying when those thoughts come, is that somehow or another, we're just here by accident. You know, we're just a random collection of molecules that just happen to, by chance, come together in such a way, and here we are. So when we have those thoughts, though, essentially what we're doing is we're veering from the truth of the Bible, which says that we have been created purposefully, and we have been divinely created by a loving Creator God. We've been fashioned for a divine purpose as a result of His grace and His handiwork to us, designed us, every single one of us, unique and special, with a unique purpose to fulfill. And therefore, our very limitations, handicaps, weaknesses, that which He God permits and has permitted into our lives, those are the very key things in our usefulness. I wonder if you believe that. Let me help you with that understanding by building some of the same... help with this building of the same clarity and perspective that we've encountered here in this passage, because we need this perspective, where we can actually say, I would rather boast in my infirmities. Here are the statements for you to consider. In all the world, there is no one like you. And since the beginning of time, there's never been a person like you. No one has your smile, your hands, your hair. No one owns your handwriting or your voice. No one can paint with your paint brushstrokes. No one has your taste in food, music, dance, or art. No one sees the universe as you do. There's never been a time when anyone who laughs in the exact same way that you do. You are different from every person in the history of the world. You are the only one in all of creation who has your particular set of abilities.

And while the Royal will always be someone who is better at a particular thing or another, no one in the universe can reach the quality of your combination of talents and abilities.

Throughout all the eternity, no one ever walks, talks, or thinks exactly like you do. You're rare. And in this rarity, no one can ever tell you you don't have enormous value.

Because the potential of your great value that you possess, you should never try to imitate anyone else. You're special. You're no accident. That you are the way you are. Therefore, therefore, realize that God has made you for a special purpose, and He has a job for you to do, a specific job that no one else can fulfill as well as you can.

Okay, so you understand. Out of the billions and billions of applicants, only one is qualified. Only you has the unique and right combination to fulfill what God has planned for you.

The you that this past week has come out with some of these phrases that we said earlier. If only I didn't have this limitation. If only I was a little bit stronger. If only I was this or that or the next thing.

As if somehow the creator of the ends of the earth who called you, who wants to redeem you, who has established your coming and your going, has somehow taken his hand off of the brush. And somehow or another, the brush is just painting by itself. Now, I begin this way because this is the very issue that Paul is addressing here in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. Because in this passage that we just read, Paul is acknowledging the Apostle Paul, you understand, is acknowledging the same challenges that have come his way and that have entered into his experience. And so again, verse 10, he says, here are the challenges that I'm facing. And he mentions five of them. What are they? Infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses.

You know what these are, right? Infirmities, physical weakness. Who has physical weakness?

Reproaches. Those are insults. Who's been insulted recently? Needs. Those are hardships in your life. Persecutions. Being unjustly abused by others.

Finally, distresses. That deals with emotions. Emotional distress. Anxiety. Sadness. It's quite an interesting list there.

If I were to ask Paul, if he were here, I'd like you to come to our Knoxville congregation. I'd like you to give a word to our small congregation here in Knoxville. Just give us a little bit of your perspective in life, Paul. So, if everyone would come, we'd be waiting with expectation. The mighty Apostle Paul is coming, right? He's going to speak of victory, power, might, speak of all his great conquest and his service to God. Paul comes, he stands up here, and he says, well, I'd really like to speak to you along five lines, really. First, I want to tell you just how I feel myself incredibly weak. And I've been given a tremendous amount of insult to my life. It's really just hardship after hardship. That's nothing to say of the persecutions. And frankly, everything I'm dealing with right now, it's producing in me a tremendous amount of anxiety that I'm having to deal with. And you would say, what? You know, Paul. Apostle Paul? But that's what this letter is. If you read through this second letter to the Corinthians here, it's a very personal letter. And in many ways, he's opening his heart here. And what we have in these four verses is Paul coming to a moment. It's a deep and wonderful clarity. After all that he's gone through, he declares this loudly. And it's absolutely fascinating to see him in this letter grow and build to the point where he can actually say, I'd rather boast in my infirmities. I'm going to boast in my weaknesses. That's an amazing declaration. Or, I take pleasure in my infirmities and all these different things. Can you imagine? I take pleasure. For when I'm weak, I am strong. That is no small statement from Paul. Again, after he surrendered his life to God, he had so much to carry. He was being buffeted by so many things and so many accusations. And if you read the letter, there's accusation after accusation that you read about. And all the accusations are just poking him with all of his weaknesses. Let's see a few of these. We're just going to take a little snapshot of some of the things he was facing here. Let's turn back a few chapters to chapter 10, if you will. We're going to take a moment and see what Paul was overcoming. And I wonder if you'll have some understanding. You'll be able to relate. So, 2 Corinthians chapter 10. We're going to begin in verse 1 here. And we're going to see that there were all these accusations, like I said, that were coming against Paul. And here's just... we're going to go through four of them here that were leveled against him. And they were targeted at his weaknesses and limitations. They hit him very deeply and personally. So he's beginning to write in response to these accusations. So, 1 chapter 10 in verse 1. The first accusation was that he was a coward. He was a coward. Notice this. Verse 1.

Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent and bold toward you. Let's stop there. So this was the accusation. And he's saying, you know, I'm timid when I face you, but I'm bold when I'm away. So this is what they were saying. Paul, you sure do act like a big man when you're away and you're writing these different letters to us. But when you come face to face, Paul, you're nothing. You're absolutely nothing. Can you imagine them saying this to him?

Okay, when he's gone, he's writing, he's a tough guy, but when you're face to face, you're a pushover. So Paul acknowledges this is a defense. I, Paul, who am very lowly when I face to face with you, I'm bold when I'm away. So the first accusation, one of the accusations going around about him is that one way he presented himself was one way, but when he was face to face, he was just a coward. He was a pushover. Okay, second accusation, just to get a little snapshot here of what he was dealing with in verse 2. They were accusing him of being fleshly, of being ungodly, unspiritual. This comes in the final phrase of verse 2 here. He writes, verse 2, But I beg you that when I am present, I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, some who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

So he's saying, I wish I was more bold when I came face to face with you, because you're accusing us of walking according to the flesh. This was the accusation against him.

You know, Paul, you're one way to others, but I know behind the scenes, Paul, we know you're not a spiritual man at all. You're saying one thing, but walking a different way. Very difficult accusations. I wonder if you ever had that accusation. Someone accusing you of being two-faced, you know. You can imagine what this was building in him. Thirdly, third accusation. Let's go down to verse 7, just to see this. They regarded him and the others that were with Paul as suspect members of the body of Christ. Go down to verse 7.

Do you look at these things? Verse 7, according to the outward appearance. So this is in defense. He's in defense here. If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ, even so we are Christ, he says. It's very subtle, but you could just feel this in this letter here. This was the third accusation. You know, we are in Christ, he's saying. Why did he say that? Because they were saying, oh, you're not even of Christ. This guy you speak of so passionately, Paul. You're not actually with him. Personal, deep attacks. As he's personally responding to these. How about just the fourth one here? The fourth one leveled against him that he was just second class. He was just second class. He wasn't anything of any value. Let's go down to verse 12. Verse 12, he writes in his defense, We dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves, but they measure themselves by themselves. And comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. So this was the group of accusers here. You know, they were quick to commend themselves, amongst themselves patting each other on the back, all the while saying, you're just you're low class, Paul, you're low class, and all your followers. You're nothing here.

And so it's so fascinating to begin to see here that in writing this second letter to the Corinthians here, essentially, again, he's writing defense of himself and he's writing defense of his service to God. And I think the reason why he's writing this defense letter, he's not so concerned about his own reputation. He's not so concerned about what they think about Paul more than he's worried about these Corinthian believers. He had just established this Corinthian church, and these were young believers to the truth and to their calling. He was concerned about them, and he knew, wow, if they're attacking me in this way, and if I'm feeling all this heaviness and weakness in all of it, they're going to turn their attacks on them and are turning their attacks to buffet them.

So he recognizes that it's imperative to defend these issues so as to give the believers of that time the proper response, clarity, the proper perspective on how to view these things and their weaknesses. And so in his defense of his weaknesses, limitations, he puts forth this incredible perspective for God's people here.

And we're just getting a taste of the technique that he's about to implore here. Paul was brilliant. I love Paul, and he's going to now use a technique against his opponents in his defense of his weaknesses and all these things they're accusing him of. And he's going to take them to task on their own terms. So Paul decides that he's going to boast. He's going to boast of all things. In defending himself, the tactic that he's going to use against these characters is he's going to boast. But it's not your typical boasting here.

Let's see this. Go forward to chapter 11. Let's begin in verse 5 to kind of set our scene here as he begins this defense. And you see this fascinating tactic that he's going to use as he puts forth the perspective that we should have. So chapter 11, let's read verses 5 through 15. He's really going to start to hit them here. And you'll see where it concludes in his boasting here. Verse 5 of chapter 11. For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most imminent apostles, even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge.

But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. That I commit sin and humbly myself, that you might be exalted because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge. I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you and in need, I was not a burden to no one. For what I lacked, the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied.

And in everything, I kept myself from being burdensome to you. And so I will keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. Verse 12. But what I do know, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things which they boast.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it's no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. So he's attacking these accusers head on, whose end will be according to their works.

Now verse 16 he says, verse 16, I say again, let no one thank me a fool, if otherwise at least receive me as a fool, then I also may boast a little bit. Okay, let's stop there for a moment. So if you're going to take me as a fool, take me as a fool. But if you want to boast, let's boast. How about we boast? And going down, he's going to go down that road. And look at this, it's absolutely fascinating here. Go down to verse 22 and verse 23.

Verse 22 and 23. Are they Hebrews? Ah, so am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seat of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak to you as a fool. I am more, he says, in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. Let's stop there for a minute. Okay, if you want to talk heritage, I got all that.

So am I. We can talk about that. And if you want to talk about service to Jesus Christ and God the Father, and then he gives this amazing list of experiences, and you'll notice he points out the absolute hammering he's taken for following Jesus Christ.

You ask, are they servants of Christ? He says, I'm being a fool by talking like this, but I am more. And he's setting him up here. I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more frequently. I've been flogged more severely. I've been in a death's door again and again. And you'll notice he's running through this whole list of what? Of his weaknesses, isn't it?

And purposely so. Why? What's the tactic here? He's leading him to this conclusion. It's the conclusion in verse 30. This is what he's building to here. Verse 30.

Verse 30, it says, if I must boast, you want to boast? Well, if I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

If I must boast, I must boast in those things that show my weakness.

Wow, what a technique here. This is our perspective.

And he says, just so I can put an explanation point on this, if there's any doubt of my weakness, let me just give you one final illustration here. You missed accusing me of something. Verse 32.

In Damascus, the governor under Aretas, the king, was guarding the city of Damascusines with the garrison, desiring to arrest me. Verse 33. But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands. This stuff here. So you get this picture. They're attacking him. Paul, you're weak. You're second class. You don't know how to talk here. You're worldly. You're a fraud. You're not of Christ. You almost get the picture. He stands up and he might be a little stooped over, you know, from all that he's been through here. And he says, well, you forgot one thing. I was just let out of window, you know, I barely escaped by the skin of my teeth there. They let me out of a basket. I had to run for my life. And here I am now. Here I am. And let me boast in my weakness. You remember how we opened the study. Paul was having to face his infirmities, persecutions, distresses, all of it being shoved in his face by society. How would he answer these things? Here's his response. Let me tell you about all my handicaps, all my limitations, all these things. It's in these things I will boast.

See, he's flipping the accusations right on their head. And he's taking their boasting, and he's turning it right around on him. You want to boast? Okay, we'll boast.

They were expecting him to boast. He says, well, I'm about to talk as a fool. I'm about to boast.

And they were thinking that he was about to build himself up, boast for boast. But what does he do? He boasts, but not in his strength, but in his weakness. Yes. Incredible. Look at verse 22 and following here. Verse 22 and following. Are the Hebrews? So am I. Are the Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Jesus Christ? I am more. Let me tell you how much more I am. And how I'm more? In stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in the face of death, forty stripes minus one. Verse 25, three times beaten with the rods, one time stone, three times shet-bricked, a night and day I've been in the deep, perils in the water, perils of robbers, perils of my own countrymen, perils of Gentiles, perils of the city, perils of wilderness, perils in the sea, perils amongst false brethren, weariness and toll, in sleeplessness often, in hunger, thirst, in fastings often, in cold, and I've been naked. Verse 29, who is weak? I am not weak. Who is made to stumble? And I do not burn with indignation.

Verse 30, nah. Verse 30 again, if I must boast, I'll boast in these things that concern my infirmity. What's the point he's making? How can he boast? You know, he can boast because the answer is that it's in these elements where the key to power is found. In these elements, right here. So he's going to boast. He's going to boast in his weaknesses. Weaknesses are assets. Have you ever considered that? Can I ask you the same question we asked earlier? Have you honestly considered that the possibility of your handicaps, your limitations, your weaknesses, far from being a detriment are actually the key to your usefulness?

Let's really connect this with our mind. Let's make a strong connection here.

Let's go back to Exodus chapter 3 for just a moment. Exodus chapter 3. I'll have you turn there. I gotta have you turn sometime. I gotta put you to work at some point. Exodus chapter 3 for just a moment. So here in Exodus chapter 3, God determines he's going to come down and liberate his people from the crushing hand of Egypt. Favreau and all of his power have broken down the Israelites into total subjection. There's no prospect of them getting out of their bondage. So God determines to come down to them. How is he going to come down to them? He's going to come down to them through a shepherd. Look at this. Chapter 3 verse 1 and part of verse 2. Chapter 3 verse 1 and part of verse 2. Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, and the priest of the Median. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him, so appeared to Moses, in a flame of fire from the mist of the bush. So we'll stop there. So, you know, the bush was not consumed and so on. So he tells, God tells Moses, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And in verse 7, go down to verse 7, I have certainly seen the oppression, oppression of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I've come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians. And you can imagine Moses saying, well, that's terrific. And he's thinking, why is he telling me this? You know, why are you telling me this, God? And then God tells him why. Verse 10. Verse 10, come now. Therefore I will send you, Moses, to Pharaoh, that you may bring back, bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. Can you imagine? I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt. I'm sending you, he must have looked over his shoulder, you know, see if God's talking to someone else. Here, there were only sheep around. God was speaking to him. I'm coming down to you. I'm going to liberate the Israelites. You're my man. Are you ready? No, frankly, I'm not ready, Moses said. Verse 11. See if you see if you hear yourself in this. Verse 11. Who am I? Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Who am I? And you have this succession of questioning from Moses to God. Why? Because he knows Pharaoh, Moses, palace, tent, strength, weakness, power, nothing. So, God, are you sure? Do you find yourself saying this? Who am I? Am I a usefulness to God? And so this is a spiritual giant, no doubt. Moses, look at, look, go forward. Chapter 4 in verse 10. Moses begins to think of his own handicaps and his own limitations. That's what first comes to his mind. Chapter 4 verse 10.

Chapter 4 verse 10. Then Moses said to the Lord, Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent. Neither before nor since you have spoken to your servant. But I'm slow in speech, and I'm slow of tongue. You know, words just don't come to my mind very quickly. And when they do, I can't even get them out, he says. And God says, that's right. That's right. That's exactly why I came to you. That's why I ignited that bush there. It's why I'm talking to you now.

Because you, Moses, I know you have weakness and limitations. But you're gonna go, stand before Pharaoh, and say, you know, let my people go.

Who am I? He says. Now you could go through the whole Old Testament, and we won't. We'd be here all day. But just think of Gideon, smallest clan, least of his family, armies of the many a-nights, completely arranged to the max against God's people. You can read this later. It's in Judges chapter 7. Gideon, I want you to go. Vanquish the Midianites. See victory in my name. And you see the whole saga repeat itself. God, I'm the least of the least. Who am I? I'm not this person that you want. God says, well, oh, and by the way, we got too many people. Let's get it down to 300. Let's do it with 300 people. The armies were like grasshoppers. There's a whole blanket of them out there. We're weak. They are strong. God says, exactly right.

So the brother of a shepherd boy shows up with bread and cheese to the front line of the battle.

Hey, Dad has asked me to bring this stuff to you. He said you might be looking for a sandwich right now. Who's that big guy? Well, that's Goliath. What does he want? Now he wants someone to fight him. Well, why don't we fight him? That's easy for you to say. Shepherd boy, you've never been in the army. You're not in the army. Why don't you just get out of here? No, seriously. Why don't we fight him? He's defying the armies of the living God. Have you seen that guy? Yeah, I've seen him. Have you heard him roaring? Yeah, I heard him. I'll fight him. Yeah, sure, you're gonna fight him. I'll fight him. King says, well, you're not gonna... there's no possibility of victory the way you're dressed. You put this armor on. You know, the armor doesn't even fit him. It's too big. It's too heavy. It's a complete mess. Takes it off. Gets a sling. Five stones from the brook. Slings it around his head. Nails the giant between the eyes. Takes him down. Takes his head off. Shows it to the Philistines. They go careening from the place. Why? Because David was big and strong? No. He was little and weak. Goliath strong. David weak. Goliath mighty. David insignificant. The odds are stacked totally against the servant of God. So who wins? We could go on. God looks down from heaven and determines that he's going to send one who would be the atoning sacrifice for sin. Where does he send him? Bethlehem. Bethlehem. A little nondiscrete little country area. Two. A no-name individual. Total obscurity. Steps onto the stage of human history.

Those observers say, is that Joseph's son? Is that Mary's son? Yeah, I think it is. Standing on the side of the look, his body's hanging from a stake. You know what? They would say, that looks like a total pathetic picture of weakness. What could come of that? If you're going to send a savior and a king, you wouldn't have him on a stake. You would have a champion, a conqueror, maybe come in on chariot or something. You know, show himself strong. But how does it end? A crucifixion.

The ladies hurry to the tomb, find the grave closed. He's not there. Why? Because he sits on a throne, awaiting to make his return. But in the meantime, in the meantime, he's putting together his people. And what do the people look like? Well, a motley crew, a ragtag bunch of individuals, if you'll pardon me, the average congregation of God's truth, church, some of the strangest people you would ever put together in your life. If you had the best, the most vast computer you could ever have, they would never put together, quite conceive the strange group of individuals. And here we are. Here we are. What do we look like? Mighty or strong?

How did you feel this week? Did you fill yourself up for the task? Did you say the odds are so weighted against me? Perfect. Perfect. Let's go back to Paul and as we work toward a conclusion here, 2 Corinthians chapter 12 again. 2 Corinthians chapter 12.

It's an amazing perspective. It's an amazing defense. It's an amazing clarity that we're coming to this afternoon. And coming back to this chapter, chapter 12, we actually come to one final area which the detractors challenge him and it's in the realm of spiritual experiences. So these haughty accusers, they love to say, oh, I've had this spiritual experience with God. I'm sure you haven't. And Paul says, well, if you want to talk about spiritual experiences, I've got a real zinger for you here. 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 1. Paul's going to speak in the third person, but it's clearly Paul here that he's speaking about. Chapter 12, verse 1 through 4. He writes in response, It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast, but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body I do not know or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows. Such one was caught up into the third heaven. And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows, how he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. So that was Paul's experience. And in human terms, if you're going to brag about a spiritual experience, that's the experience to brag about there. But he was determined not to do so. Look at this, verse 5 through 7. Verse 5 through 7. Of such a one I will boast, yet of myself I will not boast. But what will I boast in? I'll boast except in my infirmities. That's what I'm going to boast about, he says. Verse 6. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will speak the truth, but I refrain lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. Verse 7. Unless 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 buff at me, lest I be exalted above measure. So let me paraphrase this. Because of the extravagance of revelations, he says, just so I wouldn't think too much of myself, I've been given the gift of a weakness. I've been given the gift of a handicap. I've been given the gift of a limitation just so I can be in touch with my limitations. The gift of weakness.

Have you ever considered the possibility that the thing that keeps you up at night is the key to your usefulness? I've experienced this lately. You lie there awake. God, I don't want to be awake. You know, why am I awake at 3 a.m.? Maybe he just wants us to be awake at 3 a.m. to show that we can't even sleep except for his power and his ability. And we acknowledge that, and he lets us back to sleep. Just an example.

But have you considered that the possibility that God has allowed handicaps to come into your experience, handicaps to prevent you and I from becoming conceited and in touch with our limitations so that we might be useful to him? And the worst thing he could do is to take away that from us, because it's the very thing that keeps us and makes us useful to him. All that to simply acknowledge the fact that God uses the most unlikely people. He uses those who are weak, the handicapped, the limited, and he gives us thorns even. He allows that in our experience.

So back to the original verses that we began with. Let's read these once again in conclusion.

I wonder if we can say this today. Pray that we can say this today. Verse 7 through 10.

Verse 7, Unless I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelation, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, with that clarity, most gladly, I'd rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure even in my infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. So Paul prayed, think about this, three times. Please take this from me. And I keep repeating myself. Is it possible that the very limitation and the handicaps that we so desperately want out of our lives could actually be the very thing of our usefulness to God? God wants us to have joy and pleasure in this life, but it's not His purpose, His primary purpose. His primary purpose is something far greater, to conform us to His Son. And so, the pain, the struggle, the thorns are to lead us to that very purpose that He has in our life. And as soon as we get that truth in our, to grip our hearts and grip our minds, it is a big day.

It's a big day. It was a big day for Paul. I hope maybe today is a big day for some of you here today. So, is it a handicap? No, it's a gift. Is it a thorn? No, it's a rose. Why? For when I am weak, then I am strong.