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Then the devotional contact today. Today’ s Bible reading begins in the second

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verse seven of Corinth, chapter twelve. And so that the greatness of the

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revelations would not exalt me dimly,
I was given a sting in my flesh,

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a messenger of satan who slaps me
so that I may not be greatly

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exalted, concerning which I have three
times begged the lord to take him from

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me and told me to base my
grace, for my power is perfected in

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weakness. Therefore, willingly, I
will rather glory in my weaknesses that the

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power of Christ may rest upon me, so that, for Christ' s

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sake, I may rejoice in weaknesses, in affronts, in necessities, in

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persecutions, in distresses, for when
I am weak then I am strong.

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No one likes suffering. However,
God uses pain to mold his children.

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Although the times of happiness are wonderful, those of suffering produce growth. The

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breakdown can highlight parts of us that
try to leave God out if there are

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aspects that we have not given him. They can hinder the plans our heavenly

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father has for us, but with
his skillful and loving way, they use

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our circumstances and discomfort to reveal how
dependent we are on him. Actually.

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The apostle Paul experienced it after being
saved on the road to Damascus. He

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still needed spiritual growth to be more
effective for Christ. Therefore, God permitted

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some affliction that the Apostle called a
sting. On three occasions he pleaded with

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the lord to remove it, but
the sting remained, even if it seemed

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incredible. Paul' s reaction was
gratitude. Moreover he wrote out of love

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for Christ I rejoice in weaknesses,
in affronts, in needs and in persecutions.

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They' re distressed, because when
I' m weak, then I

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' m strong. Like Paul,
suffering can displease us and yet give us

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the confidence that God is making us
grow. His purpose is for us to

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walk in close unity with him and
serve him according to his will. To

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achieve this, you have to break
our resistance and our self- sufficiency.

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If you wish to live for Christ, trust him enough to pray so,

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Lord, more than anything else in
life I want to live for you please,

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hinder any aspect that is not wholly
subject to your will