God Said No Three Times

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God Said No Three Times

Andrea Lende • September 14, 2022

II Corinthians 12:8-9

God Said No Three Times

You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Lord-of-Mercy-e1nqrjj

II Corinthians 12:8-9

Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me;

But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect in your weakness.

Paul had lived with pain for fourteen years.

He was someone who was shown many wonderful and glorious things by God.

But he also endured physical pain.

He asked the Lord to take away his pain three times.

And three times the Lord told him no.

God told him His grace was enough for him.

He told him His strength and power were made perfect in his weakness.

God wasn’t going to free Paul of his infirmity.

Instead, He was going to pour His mercy upon him.

He was going to be the strength Paul needed to endure it.

God’s strength and power is evident in our pain and weakness as well.

When our strength is gone, we lean into God because there is no other place to turn.

I have experienced many days, which turned into years, when I was weak and in pain because of illness.

However, it was during those years I found the Lord in a significant way.

It was during those years I learned I could depend and rely on the Lord.

He brought me closer to Him.

Although I do not wish to experience that sort of illness again, I wouldn’t wish the experience away.

The Lord’s strength was made perfect in my weakness over and over again.

Today I choose to be completely reliant on God and experience His perfect strength.

May you find the Lord’s strength is sufficient for you and your weakness as well.

Daily Prayer:

O Lord, thank You for being more than enough to cover our weakness. Thank You, Father, for being our strength when all strength is gone. Thank You for Your grace and mercy which You so generously pour over our lives. And thank You for drawing us close to You so we can fully rely on You. Help us meet the challenges of today and tomorrow with surety and confidence. Keep us seeking You and relying on You, Lord. We worship and honor You with our daily lives for You are the God of the universe and God of our hearts. Help us bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing our prayer.

Answer: I AM all you need, and I will hold you up through the challenges and storms of your lives.

Response: Strengthen us today with Your Holy Spirit, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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