2 Corinthians 12:9, commentary and pictures

Christ answered Paul's repeated prayer to remove his hindering affliction by leaving it in place and promising favor and power enough to bear it, so that divine power would rest upon him in his weakness. That favor is given day by day like manna, weighed and proportioned to each trial and present duty so no one is tested beyond what he can bear. Human ability alone is weakness, but when weakness is felt, acknowledged, and joined to Christ, His might is made complete and glorious in it and the weak become strong. The same grace subdues sin and defects of character, giving pardon, self-control over passion, appetite and temper, and power to resist and overcome by untiring effort and prayer. It sustains in long sickness and pain without instant healing, strengthens humble workers for teaching, preaching and duty beyond their powers, and will enable God's people to stand holy and joyful when Christ returns.

Paul's Thorn Answered

The answer was spoken to Paul, the tried apostle, who prayed repeatedly that his thorn in the flesh would be taken away. The affliction was bad eyesight, a hindrance to his work, which he thought earnest prayer would remove, but it was left in place and he was told to speak no more of its removal. God answers prayer for temporal relief by giving what is best rather than exactly what is asked, because He knows what is best and endurance with His help is better and more valuable than instant removal. So a painful affliction may be left for months even when earnest prayer is made for its instant removal, and sick people praying for recovery may not be healed at once in the way desired but receive the greater gift of enough sustaining help and strength to bear the trial. Instead of dwelling on trials Paul was glad to accept weakness and magnified God's grace, taking pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake, for when he is weak then he is strong. Bodily infirmity does not bar the blind, the deaf, the lame and the deformed from receiving the seal of God, for afflicted ones are dearly beloved with special care and promise of grace, and will have trials no greater than they can endure.

Grace is divine favor meeting every need, and strength is divine power made complete where human ability fails. God gives every tempted soul sufficient grace and is able and willing to supply His servants with all needed help and wisdom for their varied situations. The promise is that Christ's power rests upon and dwells in the believer, turning weakness into strength, so weakness and hardship do not prevent that power but become occasions for relying on it and even rejoicing in it. Those who serve God can therefore rely on Him for strength under pressure and gladly endure weakness and hardship because Christ's power rests upon them, receiving grace from His fullness that enables service even when they are weak.

The verse is fulfilled by joining human weakness to divine strength, ignorance to divine wisdom, unworthiness to Christ's merit, frailty to enduring might, and poverty to boundless wealth. Feeble strength is thus reinforced by laying hold upon infinite power, turning hours of pain into hours of prayer to the One who knows sorrows and what is best, and enabling a firm standing day and night on the solid rock of God's promises with loving trust and no doubt. Heaven is not reached by uniting with frail, fallible people and expecting their power and influence to carry one along, but by uniting the heart in clinging faith to Jesus Christ as the Friend of sinners and then doing at once whatsoever He says in His Word instead of delaying. Genuine conversion from sin to righteousness is this joining, when a sinner yields up his own will, falls on the rock and is broken, and responds to Christ's invitation by surrendering all to God and becoming one with Christ, and then Christ uses him to the glory of His name and gives him the spirit of peace. Those who realize their own weakness and nothingness and make this joining will be overcomers, for God's Spirit helps, strengthens and sustains and teaches dependence on Jesus in every conflict and trial, supplying what is lacking in human weakness, ignorance and inefficiency. As long as they work humbly and in faith they will have success, and through their efforts precious souls will confess belief in the truth and take their stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel, so they should be of good courage in the Lord.

Grace Sufficient Daily

Christ's grace is sufficient for the need of each day, supplied daily like the manna given to Israel in the wilderness. The promise does not give help today for burdens belonging to tomorrow, but gives strength for present trouble as each day brings its trials. When heavier burdens come, strength is given for that day as burdens are brought to the Lord rather than carried in one's own strength, enabling willing service and making suffering for Christ sweet by His presence. This grace is enough even for the weakest of His children, who without it would faint along the way, and it is to be relied upon in the path of duty in every circumstance and condition. Trusting God simply and obediently rather than relying on finite human strength brings peace.

God weighs every trial before allowing it to come and proportions grace to the emergency, so that no soul is tempted beyond what he is able to bear. He knows every circumstance, gives the light needed to resist temptation, makes a way of escape, and lifts up a standard against Satan in behalf of the believer. Living faith connects the person with God's power and enables reliance on His grace in every emergency of life, so that with firm purpose and His aid temptation can be resisted. Self-trust fails and leaves sin unremoved and the soul enslaved, for strength comes only through living faith in Jesus' might who has spoiled the powers of darkness. Only when the tempted person refuses to discern truth because he does not wish to know is he left to his own choice, and if he chooses darkness he will have it, putting himself where he will not know truth because he wants his own self-glorifying way instead of God's way.

Grace is infinite treasure, richly and freely bestowed to supply power for godly living and service, fully sufficient for every need and for the weakest, while even the strongest will perish without it. It is the remedy for the sin-sick soul, sufficient for everyone who comes to Him, and those who surrender to Jesus and welcome Him into their hearts are kept safe in Him and complete in Him. This wealth of grace and power is to be appreciated, relished, received, valued and used in thorough loyalty and self-denying discipleship, not turned from, left unused or neglected. It equips believers for service and gives converting power to become sons of God through entire trust and living faith.

Strength Perfected in Weakness

Christ's strength is made complete, perfect and glorious in human weakness, and His grace is enough for every need, peril, affliction and trial. When the believer is weak then he is strong, because his life is hid with Christ in God and no peril can separate him from Christ's love. Infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake are therefore to be cheerfully endured, gladly accepted, taken pleasure in and even gloried in, that the power of Christ may rest upon the sufferer. There is to be no despondency in God's service, for God gives His faithful servants the strength and ability their needs require, more than fulfilling the highest expectations of those who trust Him, renewing strength day by day, placing understanding and wisdom at their service so they do not err, and delivering them when faith is tested. Affliction itself brings believers to recognize weakness and rely on God, who prepares them for service and responsibility, and obstacles, opposition and the darkest days with forbidding appearances become no cause for fear.

Human strength by itself is weakness, and all strength and ability come from Christ. Self-trust, self-sufficiency, pride, pomposity and taking glory and credit to oneself for success leave a person weak, inefficient, unable to be used and cut off from greater manifestations of power, while dependence marked by deep humility and firm trust allows His power to work. Those who think themselves sufficient risk trusting in themselves instead of God, and taking credit for victories in defending truth by personal ability or persuasive arguments leads to failure. Making Christ the sufficiency and hanging the helpless soul upon Him brings power to every soul, and the more of that power is received the weaker a person feels in himself alone, with no swelling pride. God is strength and power and elevation and wisdom, so all glory must be given to Him, and every step advanced in the light becomes a voice of praise, for those who depend wholly on Him give God all the glory rather than crediting human beings. Being unable to lift up holy hands to God makes a person weak and inefficient, and God sustains those who make Jesus their righteousness and defense, glorifying Himself through humble dependence rather than self-sufficiency, especially among those doing sacred work who need continual dependence.

Feeling, recognizing and acknowledging weakness teaches wonderful lessons through personal experience and gives an inward witness and actual knowledge that Christ is all-sufficient, faithful and powerful. The more helpless a person knows himself to be, the more he can become strong in Christ's strength, by keeping eyes on His sufficiency rather than dwelling on weakness or exalting self. Jesus as loving, compassionate Saviour gives sufficient grace and strength made perfect in weakness to the one who simply believes, trusts and receives Him as personal Saviour, with present help now at the right hand to help. There is therefore no need to despair under the hellish shadows of Satan, but now is the opportunity to look away past them to Jesus, open the heart to Him and to the bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness, love and trust Him, and rest in His love. Bringing anxieties and trials to the Lord braces the spirit to endure, opens a way through difficulty, and brings rest as burdens are placed on Christ, and receiving and sharing His blessings leads to growth in grace, strength and holiness, with peace, courage and joy. In the path of faithful duty, accepting trials rather than seeking ease helps people resist temptation and remain true to God, revealing confidence and perfect faith by example and pointing other souls to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.

God's wise arrangements for service are not to be questioned, for He knowingly selects workers who walk humbly with Him and are faithful in that which is least. He calls for a humble, contrite heart that gives Him opportunity to manifest love and grace through a frail instrument, without wasting time lamenting missed opportunities, lack of position, advantages, thorough education, oratory or brilliant intellect. He accepts service according to what a man has and not according to what he has not, requiring improvement only of the talents actually entrusted, so one talent used may become ten and five talents are not held to the improvement of ten. His strength is made perfect in the weakness of followers whether prominent like Paul or little known, and recognizing weakness and dependence enables reliance on sustaining power, for even those who consider themselves pure and strong must learn that apart from Him they can do nothing. The power that advances the work and brings souls to God belongs to Him, not to human eloquence, talent, learning, oratory, intellect or ability, and human ability cannot convert anyone. He can qualify and use people despite limitations, join human weakness and inadequacy to Christ's strength, wisdom, righteousness and inexhaustible wealth to equip them for work, and use the humblest person for the greatest work through simple, willing instruments. True humility is not shrinking from responsibility or lacking aspiration but fulfilling God's purposes by depending on His strength, accepting appointed duties and serving wholeheartedly and cheerfully without judging worth of abilities or work by human standards.

Victory Over Sin

Grace is sufficient to subdue sin, to overcome defects of character, to pardon the sinner, to expel darkness, and to restore joy in God. Defects of character are not incurable, for faith and grace are given to overcome them, and weakness is no excuse for sin and no reason to give up. When temptations assail, when care, perplexity and darkness surround the soul, when sin struggles for mastery in the heart, when guilt oppresses and burdens the conscience, and when unbelief clouds the mind, the soul is to look to where light was last seen and rest in Christ's love and under His protecting care. There rest and peace are found, darkness is dispelled by looking to the Saviour, and by that grace forgiveness is received with power to arise and shine because His glory has risen upon it.

Victory calls for untiring energy, determination, personal effort joined with the prayer of faith, continual resistance, and working with God rather than working in one's own strength. Divine power awaits the demand of everyone sincerely striving for victory over self, and is to be personally appropriated to build up opposite traits, to train the soul day by day into the likeness of Christ, to become master of thoughts and words instead of being the sport of circumstances, and to triumph in severe conflict against long-indulged habits, selfishness and light conversation. Grace is sufficient in every trial, even when trials become greater than before, and those who trust wholly in God and seek grace and strength through prayer break the enemy's power, overcome temptation, and come through victorious. By uniting weakness to Christ's strength, receiving grace through Christ to meet conflicts and temptations in His Spirit, entering communion with the Saviour, and resisting in His all-powerful name, believers continue growing in strength, gain fitness for eternal life, and overcome as He overcame.

That grace gives Christian self-control to endure provocation, to bind and restrain every unholy passion, to discipline, guard and control self, to control appetite and passions, to leave an impatient word unspoken, to put aside self-pity and the sense of being unvalued or a martyr, and to develop noble qualities, energy for self-discipline and industry, economy, tact, self-denial, and power to endure privation without murmur even in homely everyday life. Natural infirmities, impatience and fretfulness do not excuse loss of self-control, harsh, pettish or unkind conduct, for to say one cannot overcome denies the sufficiency of grace and limits the Holy One of Israel. Nervousness, illness, fatigue and depressed spirits do not excuse impatience in parents, who can and should resist it, speak kindly, and exercise the will to do right, which strengthens them while God's help supports their efforts. Inclinations, will and wishes bent to God's cause can overcome, and persistent harshness shows stubbornness that must be rooted out.

Beholding Christ changes believers from glory to glory and from character to character into His image, with His strength completed in their weakness. When self is humbled and believers cooperate with God with willing, sanctified hearts, wear the yoke of Christ, cherish heaven and clear out the rubbish of selfishness, He is with them as Immanuel, filling every weakness with His strength and every inefficiency with His power and success, and taking away the sin that hinders union with Him; but if they take glory to themselves He removes His excellency from them and they no longer ride prosperously. The weakest points of character may become the strongest through grace cheerfully granted to all who really desire it with the daily aim to glorify God and subdue self, lightening the hard, narrow labor of overcoming and crowning every persevering effort made in His name with grace and peace. So aided, every true believer is renewed and perfected in character under every circumstance, enabled to obey the commandments after the law has revealed sinfulness and lost condition, justified by repentance and faith, to overcome as He overcame, to live with a conscience that does not condemn and a good report from those without, to meet responsibilities and difficulties courageously, to grow in love and discernment of what is excellent, and to live a circumspect, fruitful life to God's glory and praise.

Sustenance in Affliction

God may leave a painful affliction in place for months and not grant instant healing in the way desired, because He knows what is best and endurance with His help is better and more valuable. Instead He supplies enough sustaining help to bear it, giving the richest blessings and most precious lessons in pain and teaching that trials are moral discipline to be endured in His strength. His grace is enough for each day even when the affliction is not removed and why it remains cannot be explained, upholding under the cross, enabling cheerfulness instead of murmuring, and moving to rejoice in the love of God and praise Him while trusting His pledged word to hear prayer for restoration and to show salvation, so that without it the condition could not be borne. When healing is not His will His grace comforts the sick and His presence sustains through suffering, and once a painful swelling was even relieved after humble prayer.

In long sickness, intense pain, broken sleep and sleepless night hours, looking to Jesus by faith brings His presence as great Physician, restorer and remedy in whom all fullness dwells. He stands beside the sufferer to scatter darkness and bring light, rolling away every shade, surrounding with hallowed light, turning sharpest pains into peace and rest and turning hours of pain into hours of prayer on the solid rock of promises. Such grace makes suffering welcome, reveals the Lord as good and gracious and full of mercy and compassion and tender pitying love, and fills helplessness with praise, showing how much worse the condition would be without it. Trust brings sweet communion through sleepless nights, an illuminated mind, relief, no desire to murmur or complain, and renewed hope, joy and courage, belonging to precious seasons of communion in meekness and lowliness while clinging to Him in childlike trust as His child and being filled with the Spirit of Christ.

Divine grace is not powerless before bodily infirmity but is sufficient for every ill and trial, including pain, sleepless nights and affliction, giving power to overcome temptation and dispel Satan's shadow by the brightness of Christ's righteousness. It upholds and strengthens with a power greater than Satan's power to distress and annoy, so that He does not stand back while Satan takes the field to hold the victim in evil attributes. Sickness gives no privilege for pettish words, unlovely actions, unthankfulness, unholy conduct, walking in darkness or walking in the counsels of the enemy; sufferers are to speak right words under all circumstances, act in a Christlike, thankful, holy manner, and talk faith and hope and courage while trusting in Jesus. He knows the human frame, and His strength and sympathy and love measured by His humiliation, suffering, death, disgrace and endurance without destroying His tormentors stand by the believer to sustain, arm with His mind, guide with His counsel and impart His holy will, leaving no ground for complaint at self-denial and self-sacrifice for His sake.

The afflicted are dearly beloved, and God knows human feebleness in body and mind, in sickness, brokenness and imperfection, requiring no more than He gives strength to perform. All He asks is simple trust like a child confiding in parents, dropping into His arms, resting without worrying or laboring with severe taxing effort to believe, looking to Jesus and talking faith, hope, cheerfulness and courage, while doing all that can be done and bringing the warmth of love into daily life. That sufficient grace cures coldness and distance toward others and supplies the wisdom, strength, kindness, patience and love needed to do faithful work and leave a right impression. He does not reject for weakness but sustains with love, peace and grace, glorified in affliction through patience, faith and submission which prove the power of truth as consolation and support when every earthly prop is removed, sustaining through weakness, opposition and distress when friendships fail and protecting those whose life is hid with Christ so no peril separates them from His love.

Sufficient grace is power not merely to acknowledge Christ but to follow where He leads, as it upheld Him in suffering for humanity, enabling believers in the present time of proving to accept a far greater crucifixion of self to gain the crown of life. It gives strength and hope in heavy loss and stormy times ahead to steadfastly endure chastening without fainting, desponding, murmuring or complaining, to walk humbly, glorify His name, lay hold of the Infinite, reveal faith in trial, lift and carry the cross to wear the crown, and show fellowship with Christ and Christian fortitude as His witnesses. Guarding integrity day by day and depending on His Word, the believer can go forward without boasting or presuming how he will act when tested, so that difficulties appearing like mountains become molehills even when faithfulness must not defy the laws of the land. He knows all weakness and what is needed and gives grace sufficient for each day, and the weak or sick seeking recovery should put themselves in His hands as Physician while using human instrumentalities, giving themselves entirely to Jesus to be wholly His, looking to Him always, trusting continually without doubting His love and compassion, letting the sunshine of His love warm them, and being of good courage.

Grace sustains through the suffering, opposition, anguish and distress involved in faithfully doing what God requires and declaring entrusted messages. That assurance gives courage to accept that much suffering lies ahead and to remain true in faithful duty and in declaring messages despite fear, poor health, distress and sense of inability.

Empowerment for Service

Grace is sufficient for teachers who ask who is sufficient for such responsibilities and privileges, for Christ's assurance meets their need so that to leave Him out is to leave the task hopeless while to trust His wisdom and strength brings noble success. That confidence calls them to trust God and go forward with energy, to take inspiration from the promise, to speak no doubt and unbelief and offer no half-hearted service, but to love God with all heart, soul, mind and strength in the highest sanctified ambition. The teacher is entrusted with a great work for which he is wholly insufficient in his own strength, but when he realizes his weakness and clings to Jesus he becomes strong in the strength of the Mighty One. He is then able to bring the patience, forbearance, gentleness and love of Christ to his difficult task, and faithful, persevering labor is rewarded in noble characters and useful lives.

Consciousness of weakness, unworthiness and feebleness of effort in contrast with the Redeemer keeps the minister humble and self-distrustful, with no desire to call attention to his own learning or ability. Self is lost sight of in Christ and the one aim becomes leading sinners to the Saviour, leading him to rely daily on Christ for strength and efficiency. That reliance gives speaking with power and authority from on high, with a heart filled with the sympathy and love of Jesus whose earnest appeals melt hearts long hardened against God and draw sinners to the cross. God's servant must trust His power by faith and leave room for Him to work, while still making earnest effort in the work entrusted to him. Those much engaged in prayer are taught by God how to present the truth as it is in Jesus and not in a controversial way, receiving growing light unto the perfect day as in human weakness God makes His strength known.

When weakness prevents reliance on one's own strength, grace is enough to encourage trust in God and faith-filled action even before the desired strength comes, and on the journey strength increases with reason to rejoice in God. When a task seems beyond reach and strength and courage fail, weakness is a reason to rely more fully on God's power rather than on human support, which may fail unless grounded in living faith. God can give strength and clear speech for duty when a person feels physically and mentally unable and lacks courage, and trusting the promise and moving forward in faith brings the help needed to act in perplexity and loneliness. The promise gave courage to go forward despite feeble health without receiving the strength desired, with faith tested on the way, and weakness deepened dependence on God unto humble, careful reliance rather than complaint. Though tired, exhausted, sick, hoarse or trembling, prayer for strength to be made perfect brings voice, freedom, clarity, peace and blessing that move hearts.

In advancement of the work, obstacles, opposition and darkest days are no cause for despondency or fear, for grace supplies all the help workers need at all times with strength and encouragement in the hour of deepest trial against distrust and discouragement. Of themselves workers can do nothing, but through Christ they can do all things by being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, seeking the Lord together and becoming a help and blessing to one another with Jesus with them as bright and morning star. God renews strength day by day, places understanding and wisdom at servants' service, delivers when faith is tested, makes the feeble strong and the strong mighty, and gives power through Christ and the Holy Spirit to those devoted to God to do the work of saving souls though weak in themselves. When love for Jesus and for one another is expressed in every part of the work, miracle-working power is revealed as His strength reaches its full end in human weakness, supplying courage, strength, perseverance, joy and the inward peace that Christ alone can give. The hesitating and irresolute become firm and decided by exercising abilities in God's cause, dedicating life to work with Christ for salvation, exalted as co-laborers with the Saviour whose decided efforts produce great results and joy beyond all else in seeing precious souls progress in the light.

Guidance for individual duty is found by looking to God rather than putting another person between the soul and duty, looking to Him for understanding instead of placing confidence in another as guide. Trusting continually means bringing cares and burdens to Him rather than relying on one's own wisdom and taking over management of affairs, and this trust removes anxious fear about the future. Feeling powerless is as it should be, because the believer as co-worker with Jesus Christ is only the instrument while the Holy Spirit is the great Helper who does the work. Looking to and trusting Jesus gives pledged divine help from an omnipotent God, so that at every post of duty the believer is girded with a power he does not possess, taking hold by living faith upon the strength of the Mighty One in greatest struggles, sorest trials and emergencies. Grace so received is to work in and with His people as they fulfill His promises and obey every command, depended on for faithfully doing duty and standing firm for the right through trials and opposition, and those who humbly seek Him refuse defeat.

The Spirit is never sent to sanction ignorance, so lack of knowledge where it can be obtained does not excuse neglect of Bible study, whose words of inspiration are so plain that the unlearned may understand them. God pities and blesses those who have no knowledge and are so situated that they cannot obtain it, and sometimes makes His strength perfect in their weakness, but those who are able have a duty to study His word and lack of knowledge in the sciences is no excuse for neglecting it. Human effort in finite strength fails to do good, but those who accept Christ by faith find Him a personal Saviour and can serve in His work. Trusting God brings mind and affections into healthy action and gives strength to develop steady, persistent energy, to stand as a child of God, to meet the mind of the Spirit and to serve successfully in winning souls to Christ. Grace is sufficient for every need especially when the work is difficult and taxing, and medical workers are to lead sufferers to unite weakness with His strength while humble practice of health reform reveals wisdom made perfect in weakness.

Standing Holy at Return

The grace promised is sufficient to enable God's people to stand when Christ returns and searches them. When they face His overwhelming glory they tremble and fear whether they are ready and whether their robes are spotless, asking who can stand. His assurance that His grace is sufficient answers that fear in their weakness and turns it into joy and confidence. Their faces are lightened from paleness and brightened, and His power rests upon them as they await Him.

That same grace accomplishes God's purpose to make a sanctified, purified, holy people who become a praise in the earth. It is experienced in its fullness and power as they believe the principles of the gospel and practice them, devoting their God-given abilities to His service. By so living out the truth they represent Christ in pure thoughts, uplifting words, and holy lives, and communicate light to others.

The grace is sufficient for every follower to resist temptation and endure, yet a shallow or inadequate grasp of it will not prepare them to endure to the close of probation. Near that close faith must increase into greater likeness to Christ in conduct and disposition, with vigilant self-control and perseverance. Those watching and waiting for their Lord keep their eyes heavenward and answer scoffers by declaring they are watching and waiting, choosing to glory in tribulation, affliction, and necessities rather than turning to earthly pleasure, worldly fame, and the deceitfulness of riches. By watching they become strong and overcome sloth, selfishness, and love of ease, and though affliction's fire kindles upon them and the waiting time seems long so that they sometimes grieve and faith falters, they rally again, overcome fear and doubt, and continue glorying while looking upward.