Hold Fast

"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.'..." --2 Corinthians 12:9 ---In this passage Paul is explaining how he asked God to remove the "thorn in the flesh". I believe God led me to this verse for a specific purpose. I was not seeking it out; I was looking in my Bible's concordance for another verse that includes the word "grace". That verse was not in the list, but my eyes lit upon 2 Corinthians. Oh, how I needed to see it, and the Lord knew that. In the middle of trials, when the ground feels loose and crumbling and my own will to follow the Lord fails me, my plea is often that these "thorns" be removed, for I would much rather they leave than that I have to dig in my heels and trust God to help me with them until His refining work is done in me. I would much rather have God simply destroy distractions, trials, and temptations, than for me to close my eyes and lean into the act of trusting God to see me through them. But ah, if I didn't go through the fire, I would not become more like the Lord Jesus. The impurities would not burn off. I would not know the sweetness of victory gained by trust and faithfulness. --"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18