2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
At times, we can find ourselves in seasons where it seems like God is being uncooperative. It can appear that everyone else is flourishing and life is going well for them while everything is falling apart for us. It can seem like God has left us to face our struggles alone at times. You may be in one of these seasons of life right now: parenting a prodigal child, trying to work through a challenging marriage, struggling with job insecurity, or facing major problems in school. You may feel like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling unanswered. In times like this, doubts can creep in, causing you to question if God really cares, or worse, if He's even there.
You have to realize that your sense that God isn't helping isn't proof that He isn't present or doesn't exist. It is also not a reflection of your worth or performance. Throughout the entire Bible, we have examples of men and women who loved God, were faithful, and were diligent, yet they faced crushing trials where God seemed to be absent or silent.
For example, the apostle Paul spent two decades traveling the Mediterranean rim spreading the gospel. He witnessed extraordinary miracles that God worked through him while also running into wall after wall of persecution and affliction.
Read how Paul summarized his missionary journeys. “Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing (2 Corinthians 11:25–27, CSB).
It's hard to understand how someone who God used so much could go through so much pain and trouble while doing exactly what God told him to do. In addition to all this, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT), “So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” No one knows exactly what Paul’s “thorn” was, but whatever it was, it brought him great anguish and suffering. Three times, Paul asked God to take it away, to set him free from his affliction.
God’s answer wasn’t exactly what one would expect. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is all you need." 2 Corinthians 12:9 (CSB). Paul didn’t get what he wanted, but God gave him what he needed. Why did he need grace rather than deliverance? We find the answer in the second half of verse 9, “My power works best in weakness.”
You must keep in mind that in the midst of your trials, it may look like God is silent, absent, or indifferent, but His grace is always present, adequate, and precisely what you need in that moment. It may not be deliverance from your pain and suffering, but it will be the resilience you need to persevere. God's glory shines brightest in your darkest moments. When you are at your weakest, and your life is broken and unraveling, His grace is at its strongest, guiding you to your Kingdom purpose.
In your current season of life, wherever you may find yourself, allow the same grace that strengthened Paul to encourage you. Let this message from 2 Corinthians 12:9 permeate your heart today: “My grace is all you need; my power works best in weakness.” Stand strong in your faith; be bold in your weakness, knowing that your Almighty God's grace never runs out. When everything is falling apart in your life and God seems uncooperative, remember that He is at work. God sees the end of the story, and He's weaving everything in your life together for your good and His Kingdom purpose (Rom. 8:28). His grace is all you need, always.