Running a half marathon outside Oamaru New Zealand (when I was much younger!!). A fellow runner Jocelyn agreed to join me on the latter section. She gave me support to keep going well through the inescapable, unavoidable toughness of the final kms.

The Apostle Paul expressed deeply personal comments of weakness in his letter to pilgrims in the city of Corinth. 2 Corinthians 12.

He speaks of an unremitting struggle which caused him much grief and over which he had little power.  Paul recognised that it had satanic origins, a deliberate calculated attack that focussed on Paul's weakest area. His 'achilles heel'

It is clear that Paul found overcoming this attack like wrestling a powerful foe, and at times to be frank, it bettered him. In desperation he asked the Lord on three occasions to remove it.

The speculation about the nature of 'it', that thorn is rife. However let me mention something that occurred to me recently 🤔 

I wonder if, rather than being the sickness or physical weakness or circumstance which is often considered, 'it' was this:

An attack and persistent focus of temptation to a vulnerable area of Paul's life. One that he found most difficult to bring in line with the way of Christ.

And rather than prayer or disciplines dismissing it the temptation continued.

This attack was temptation, intense day after day temptation to a unique weakness being exploited by Satan.

It was humbling to Paul who taught the church about the power of God for living a holy life to have such difficulty applying it himself. 

When the Lord finally brought a word to Paul it was a surprise and perhaps hard to take. For the struggle would not be removed, instead the Lord Himself would allow it to continue.

Why??

Paul had been the recipient of amazing visions and intense anointing by the Holy Spirit. The danger of such bestowals bringing pride and arrogance were great, awefully demonstrated by the fall of that mighty angel Satan.

So the Lord allowed Satan's strategy to boomerang, to reinforce Paul's ministry in humility rather than remove it through pride.

This is such an encouragement for we all have our vulnerable area over which we struggle, our besetting sin as Hebrews 12 describes. Paul had it, David had it as did Samson. Such a reality is common.

There can be feelings of guilt as the temptation continues, and our falls lead us to seek the Lord's grace time and again.

And here is the purpose indeed.

Satan's attacks on our vulnerable area boomerang on him.

They become impetus for us to seek more of His grace and to be glad recipients of the support of the common community of grace to which we belong.

And as the Lord said to Paul, this place is the place of His sufficiency.