By: Arnie Cole, Pamela Ovwigho, and Michael Ross
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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Faith Quest
Read Job 2:4–6
Can you worship in the storm?
Faith Trek
If you’ve ever wondered what Satan is really after, just read Job. Satan made it crystal clear that his goal was to turn Job away from God. Now he wanted to use another tool from his bag of tricks: physical pain.
Our Lord has created us in a wonderfully marvelous way with body, mind, and spirit all interconnected. What affects one of these areas of our being often spills over into the others. Physical discomfort and pain, these warning signals from our bodies that something is wrong, in particular can cause feelings of anxiety and depression. It can also affect our spiritual lives, distracting us from prayer and leading us to question God’s love for us.
This is especially true when the pain is extreme or chronic. It can limit our physical activities, our ability to sleep or concentrate, constricting and consuming our lives. It is estimated that 100 million people suffer with chronic pain in the United States alone. This number is more than the sufferers of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined. For these individuals, finding ways to cope physically, emotionally, and spiritually are critical.
The apostle Paul wrote about his own experiences with pain in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10. Although Paul didn’t give specifics, he described a thorn in his flesh, “a messenger of Satan to harass me” (verse 7 ESV). Rather than letting the pain drive him away from God, Paul turned to him in prayer. He openly shared what was on his heart and gave up on trying to deal with it in his own human strength. The answer Paul received was not the removal of the thorn, yet it provided a deeper level of spiritual comfort: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (verse 9 ESV). With these words, our Lord reminds us that whatever pain we are going through, His grace covers it all. These words of hope encourage us not to let our physical pains pull us down into self-pity. Instead, He encourages us to rely on His strength and grace to continue to nurture our spirits.
Faith Tools
· Physical pain can constrict our lives by limiting our activities, hijacking our emotions, and dampening our spirits.
· Our Lord’s promise that His grace is sufficient helps us overcome the damage of physical pain.
· PRAY: “My Lord, thank You for the wonderful way You have made me. I ask for Your help today to deal with the pains I experience. Father, let me turn to You in times of weakness and fully draw from Your strength.” Make a list of things that you can do, think
about, listen to, read, remember, and so on when you’re in physical pain and in danger of having it become all consuming.
Notes for Growth
A Key Point I Learned Today:
How I Want to Grow:
My Prayer List:
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