Can You Have Relief in Suffering?

(2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

I have experienced something about most Christians these days that make me wonder if we really read our scriptures as Christians; whether we meditate on the word of God. The actions of most Christians show that they do not believe a Christian can suffer. Many think that a Christian cannot be poor, sick or should not suffer because God owns every good thing. This is not always true because we need to suffer as Christians. But in our sufferings we have to ask the question whether it is God’s will. My intention is to show that we can get relief in suffering by accepting God’s will in our lives.

1. Our Lord Jesus and other apostles such as Paul suffered

We are made to understand in verse 7 of 2cor 12 that Paul was inflicted pain by Satan. Did he sin? No! Did he lose his anointing? No! Why then would Satan have the access to inflict him pain? This was a physical attack on causing him a physical infirmity as he mentions that it was a “thorn in the flesh”.

                                            i.            God controls the world, but He will allow Satan to inflict suffering. He allowed it for Job and in this text we also see that God allowed it for Paul.

                                          ii.            This suffering builds our character and makes us ready for our Lord

                                         iii.            In suffering, you show proof of your faith; when you endure it for Christ’s sake (1 Pet 1:6,7) read!

                                        iv.            Suffering  makes you more precious than gold

                                          v.            It is the fire that refines you who will enter heaven.

2. Suffering is never enjoyable

                                                               i.      No one will intentionally want to suffer for no good course

                                                             ii.      When our Lord was about to be crucified He prayed in Gethsemane that God the father should take away that cup from Him. Our Lord prayed three times, asking God to take away the cup if possible but He realized that it was God’s will for Him to be crucified (Matt 6:44)

                                                            iii.      Our Lord accepted the suffering because it was God’s will not because He loved suffering.

                                                           iv.      In verse 8 of our text Paul says for his physical infirmity, he implored the Lord three times. He begged the Lord earnestly in his prayers. That is what he means!

                                                             v.      Because suffering is not enjoyable we seek refuge to our God when we are faced with pain.

                                                           vi.      Sometimes our prayers are not answered the way we want. God did not relieve Paul from his infirmity just as He did not take away the cross from our Lord Jesus Christ.

                                                          vii.      Paul ceased his prayers for relief after the third prayer was unanswered.

                                                        viii.      He concluded that God would not remove the thorn from his flesh;

                                                           ix.      He then accepted his physical infirmity and continued his ministry

                                                             x.      Today, many people will not accept any pain as if Christians were never to feel pains or suffer. That is why we do not cease from visiting prophets and men of God; leaving from one to another for healing, prosperity, etc.

a.       Some even say that men of God can never suffer. No! That is misleading and false!

b.      Many think suffering or physical infirmity to some men of God comes from sin. No! Not always!

c.       Some men of God boast that any man of God who falls sick lacks the anointing. They say, they’ll never fall sick, they’ll only prosper physically, spiritually and health wise.

                                                           xi.      Paul was a great man of God, filled with the anointing, accompanied by God’s presence as miracles and healings followed him in his ministry.

a.       But he came to learn something in his physical life that made him more precious.    

b.      Physical infirmities remind us that we are living in a physical world, but looking forward to a realm where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes and there’ll be no pain (Rev 21:4)

If there were no pain on earth, who will desire a heavenly realm?

3. God said “My grace is sufficient” 2cor 12:9

                                                               i.      God says His power is made perfect in weakness.

                                                             ii.      God is able to deliver us from this physical world

                                                            iii.      God is able to deliver us from the power of sin and death

                                                           iv.      He controls this world because God has power over Satan.

                                                             v.      Whether in physical suffering, financial difficulties, health problems, barrenness, joblessness, sin that you are struggling with, looking up for a life partner and cannot find, family problems, problems at work, spiritual oppression, problems in schools, whatsoever;

trust and know that God is able to deliver you.

                                                           vi.      Paul learned to trust in God’s power to deliver

                                                          vii.      He did not trust in his own power or spiritual strength as did some false apostles. Today many still trust in their own ingenuity (inventiveness or cleverness and originality).

4. When you know that it’s God’s will, boast in your weakness when you suffer for Christ.

It is very rare to find people these days boasting in their weakness. Many people would love to boast in their strength.

                                                               i.      Paul did not hide his physical infirmity like some of us today.

                                                             ii.      He spoke of it, glorifying the power of God which has helped him live with it. He knew that it was glorifying to God even if the world thinks it is blasphemy (1Pet 4:14) Read

                                                            iii.      In verse 7 of 2cor 12, Paul understood that God allowed this to happen to him so that he’ll not exalt himself above measure.

                                                           iv.      The thorn in the flesh kept him humble. And humility brought us heaven even in the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ; right unto the cross

5. Endure the persecution and hardships willingly (Verse 10)

It is not enough to accept the persecution but also to know that your weakness and suffering glorify the name of Jesus.

                                                               i.      In your sufferings your weakness is manifest and when your weakness is manifested, the power of Christ is also manifested.

                                                             ii.      We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Ph 4:13)

                                                            iii.      Infirmities and hardships should drive us to trust in God for deliverance and not in ourselves.

                                                           iv.      In our difficulties, we have to trust God more, depend on his grace alone rather than moving from one man to another.

Men who do not know their right from their left!

How wonderful is it to know that when we are weak, then we are strong; because the power of Jesus Christ manifests in us when we are weak.

Amen!