Exodus 33:19 “And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
The Lord, the Lord is His name and by His power and might He determines all things. He is gracious to whom He will be gracious, and He is merciful to those He will show mercy. Why does the Lord choose to give that which no one deserves? Why would He withhold judgement from the guilty and be patient with the offender?
The mystery of God’s work is made evident to His people.
There was a time when the apostle Paul made an appeal to the Lord. He had served faithfully for years administering the gospel, enduring hardship, suffering through persecution, ridicule, and threats. It seemed that a small request from a faithful servant would have been an easy way for the Lord to show His favor.
When Paul reflected on his request, he demonstrated wisdom…
2 Corinthians 12:7-8 “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.”
Paul recalled the moment in light of the growth he experienced. That which is known to God is often concealed to the eyes of man. The Lord knows what lies before His people and prepares the way to keep His people secure.
Conceit is described as excessive pride in oneself. For a guy who lived off a few meager wages from tent making and the support from a local church, Paul wouldn’t have been endowed with great riches. Being prideful of riches likely wasn’t an issue for Paul. He was described in early, non-canonical traditions such as the Acts of Paul and Thecla, as a small, bald-headed, bow-legged, strongly built, with meeting eyebrows and a long nose. It was also assumed that his eyesight was poor and likely his frame bearing the marks of stoning and abuse through the years. Pride in appearance seemed very unlikely.
So if it wasn’t money or appearance, what could Paul have been in danger of?
Spiritual Pride
Spiritual pride sets in when the faithful believer begins to look at their service in God’s Kingdom as a position of personal achievement rather than God’s work. Pride is at the root of sinful man and has ruined many people. When the view of oneself exceeds your position, the prideful heart begins to place self on the throne and God’s will takes a back seat.
Paul may have shown hints of pride, he was human after all. The epistles he sent to the churches were inspired by the Holy Spirit, but we gain less a view of all that he wrestled with on the road. And so the Lord gave Paul the gift of humility. The method demonstrated how God even commands satanic beings into doing His will.
When Paul prayed about his circumstances, his prayer demonstrated a lack of knowledge of God’s work. If he had known the Lord was bringing about the trial, would he have prayed for the Lord to stop?
God’s response to Paul demonstrated love.
2 Corinthians 12:9 “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.”
- God’s grace sustains His servants.
- God’s power is revealed in their weakness.
- Jesus is glorified when He alone is exalted.
Do you feel like you’re going through a time of trial? You can be encouraged that God has a purpose and it is good. As long as we aren’t suffering the consequences of sin, we can be rest assured, the Lord has not forgotten.
When we stumble, the mercies of God cover us. He doesn’t turn His back on us when we fail, He lovingly corrects and calls us to repentance. The Lord does not leave us. His love for you has no end.
Through the trials and lessons, we grow stronger and wiser to the things of God.
2 Corinthians 12:10 “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
The man or woman of God who can say with confidence what Paul declared is stable in all their ways. No matter the situation, they will not be moved.
Has the Lord grown you into that person? If you’re not there yet, then rest assured, He is leading you down that path. It won’t be easy, but the reward far exceeds the difficulty.
It is the strong, stable, servant who draws people in and becomes a source of encouragement. I hope to be there one day.
U.T. 