We are by nature not very patient people. We all would admit that. We push our agendas and when things do not go our way we are very impatient. We are also impatient with God and His ways. We encourage others to be in our cards and other ways, yet with ourselves we are not happy with God's timetable often times. Paul too as an apostle had received certain limitations that hindered him and he speaks to such in a general way that we may apply it to ourselves and to our circumstances. "A thorn in the flesh" and so serious that he commits it to prayer not once, but three times. We can relate as we are given restrictions and circumstances and timetables that often times we do not like. Notice God puts emphasis on the grace for his circumstance instead of addressing the actual circumstance.

Meaning: Many ask grace to be defined. It is God's unmerited favor upon His people alone. In scripture it means "beauty" as we are lifted up in the grace of God from sin and made beautiful! All things are given to the child of God as we are the apple of His eye...his children and prized possession! God deals with us for our good ALWAYS without fail although we, just like children.....do not always appreciate it! Paul saw he had "an issue with God" relating to his circumstance. So bothersome was it that he prayed to God multiple times for it to be removed. Some say it was blindness as some of the churches said "we would pluck out our eyes for you." The Spirit does not press it out of Paul for us so that we too can apply these things to our own lives. A thorn. A sharp, thrusting, continual, and annoying pain. A continual buffeting from Satan. Like a boxing match. Something that inhibits him as our encumbrances inhibit us and our lives! But what is the answer?

Application: "Sufficient if My Grace!" Paul wanted a change just like you and I want the circumstances changed. But while we focus on the change God focus' on the GRACE! Prayer for change? As if God would give us something that is NOT good and proper for His children?? It cannot be. And God says focus on my GRACE! While we continue to focus on the handicap, God says focus on my grace! He leads us in His way, for our benefit, and always gives us the grace to withstand the "handicaps" placed in our lives. Paul's prayer is not carnal, but brings in the earnestness of doing the work of the heavenly Father. He was not praying frivolous. We pray earnestly sometimes with tears in our eyes....but he prayed for the handicap and change as we do instead of the grace to bear it and withstand it and see that it was God's good pleasure! Maybe to humble ourselves as to not have God in the background that God's glory may shine forth?! Abraham, Jacob had to learn that it was of God. David who numbered the people instead of trusting that it was God! It is God and His grace that undergirds His people! His grace is given to those who continually seek and ask it of Him as we read in the Lord's day catechism. When we are put on a pedestal we find prayer fades to the background and is very lacking (unless you are a lot different than me.) We need our focus away from the situation and put our focus on God! Limit the requests? We may pray for these things, but when God does not change the circumstance we see His purpose as something different than what we desire.

Reason: "The strength of our God is made perfect in weakness." We stand in our weakness that the glory may be God's! As a preacher cannot touch one heart with his words that the glory is HIS glory! Weakest means fulfill God's will and good pleasure! We are constantly dependant on God. And we too, like Paul will glory in our infirmities when we are focused on HIM that God may receive all glory.