Stay with this until the end, because this word has comforted many people who have prayed, cried, and waited for an answer from God\u2026 and did not receive it the way they expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are phrases in the Bible that many people repeat, but they are rarely explained well.
One of them is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.\u201d
2 Corinthians 12:9<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It sounds beautiful. It sounds strong. It sounds spiritual.
But when you truly understand it\u2026 it hurts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because that phrase was not born in a pleasant moment.
It did not come from a joyful sermon.
It did not come from a visible victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It came from the pain of a man of God who was tired of carrying something he no longer wanted to carry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That man was Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this is important: Paul was not just any believer.
He was a man completely surrendered to Christ.
He had suffered for the gospel, been persecuted, beaten, rejected, imprisoned. He had seen the power of God up close. God used him to preach, to heal, to establish churches and to take the message of Jesus to many places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet even so, he had a personal struggle that did not disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that already teaches us something very human:
that a person can deeply love God\u2026 and still live with a battle that does not go away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That happened to Paul.
And it also happens to many today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The context is in 2 Corinthians 12. To understand it well, we have to look at what comes before. Paul is talking about very deep experiences he had with God. He even mentions that he was caught up to the \u201cthird heaven,\u201d a way of describing an extraordinary spiritual experience, so high and so holy that he could not even find words to describe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But after speaking about that, Paul says something striking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.\u201d
2 Corinthians 12:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here appears the famous \u201cthorn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, the question many ask is:
what exactly was that thorn?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bible does not say it precisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it is important to say that honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are several possibilities that have been considered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some believe it was a physical illness, perhaps related to his eyes, because in other letters Paul mentions things that suggest that.
Others believe it was a bodily weakness, some constant pain or limitation.
Others think it refers to constant persecution, opposition, humiliation, attacks from people who made his life very difficult.
And some believe it could have been a combination of physical suffering, emotional pressure, and spiritual attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The truth is this:
we do not know with certainty what it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we do know several things about that thorn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We know it was real.
We know it hurt him.
We know it humbled him.
We know it made him feel weak.
And we know that Paul wanted it gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So it was not something small.
It was not a simple inconvenience.
It was something he felt deeply, like a constant burden in his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word \u201cthorn\u201d gives the idea of something sharp, something that pierces, something that does not leave you alone. It was something that constantly reminded him of his weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Paul did not stay silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cConcerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.\u201d
2 Corinthians 12:8<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is very human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paul pleaded.
He did not ask casually.
He did not make a quick prayer.
He begged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, it truly hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surely those were not superficial prayers. They came from weariness, from frustration, from a deep desire to be free from what was afflicting him. He wanted Jesus to take it away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And here comes the part that confronts us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus did not take it away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not because He couldn\u2019t.
Not because He didn\u2019t love him.
Not because Paul lacked faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But because, in this case, God\u2019s purpose was not to remove the thorn, but to use that weakness for something deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then came the Lord\u2019s answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, Jesus was saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am not going to remove this right now.
But I will give you what you need to endure it.
My grace will reach you.
My presence will not fail you.
My power will be shown precisely where you feel you cannot go on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That changes everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because we often think God\u2019s power is shown when everything goes well.
When we are healed.
When the problem disappears.
When everything is resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But here Jesus shows another truth:
sometimes God\u2019s power is not seen by removing the battle, but by sustaining us in the middle of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that is deeper than it seems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because we usually say:
\u201cIf God loves me, He will take this away.\u201d
But sometimes God, in His love, says:
\u201cI will not take it away, because I will do something greater in you through it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is hard to understand, especially when you are hurting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because let\u2019s be honest: no one wants to hear \u201cmy grace is sufficient\u201d when they are crying.
We want to hear: \u201cyou\u2019re healed,\u201d \u201cit\u2019s gone,\u201d \u201cthis is over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Paul received a different kind of answer.
And that answer was not rejection.
It was revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus was teaching him that the grace of God is not just a beautiful concept.
Grace is God\u2019s help when you have no strength left.
Grace is what lifts you when you are breaking inside.
Grace is what sustains you when the burden is still there.
Grace is the faithful presence of God when the miracle you asked for did not come the way you expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is why Paul\u2019s perspective changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He no longer said: \u201cWhy is this happening to me?\u201d
Now he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTherefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.\u201d
2 Corinthians 12:9<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is not normal\u2026 that is transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because when someone understands that in weakness God manifests His strength\u2026 they stop fighting everything\u2026 and start trusting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, many of us are praying for things that are not going away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That problem\u2026 that struggle\u2026 that situation you have carried for years\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And maybe God is listening\u2026 but His answer is not to remove it, but to sustain you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And here we must be honest\u2026
we will not always understand why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we can trust the purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because there are things that if God removed today\u2026 tomorrow we might walk away from Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are struggles that keep us on our knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are pains that teach us to depend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And there are thorns\u2026 that remind us that without God we cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paul did not receive what he asked for\u2026
but he received something greater: a revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That the grace of God is not just something you say\u2026
it is a real strength that sustains you when you can\u2019t go on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe today you are tired\u2026
maybe you have already prayed many times for the same thing\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And nothing has changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That does not mean God ignored you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It may be that God is telling you the same thing He told Paul:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy grace is sufficient for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not because He does not care about your pain\u2026
but because He knows that with Him\u2026 that will not destroy you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will form you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me leave you with this thought\u2026
not everything God allows is because He wants to see you suffer\u2026
sometimes it is because He is working something eternal inside of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if today He has not removed that \u201cthorn\u201d\u2026
trust this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are not alone\u2026 and His grace is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me invite you to a simple but sincere prayer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lord\u2026 You know what hurts me, what exhausts me, what I have asked You many times to change.
Today I do not come to demand answers\u2026 I come to trust.
If You choose not to remove this from my life, then give me the strength to carry it with You.
Teach me to depend more on You and less on myself.
And in the middle of my weakness\u2026 let Your power be visible.
Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somos Cristianos, connecting hearts with Christ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sometimes we pray, we cry, we ask God again and again\u2026 and nothing seems to change. Paul went through the same thing. He had a \u201cthorn\u201d that would not go away, and even after asking God to remove it, the answer he received was different: \u201cMy grace is sufficient for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
This reflection explains what that thorn could have been, why God didn\u2019t take it away, and what it really means to be sustained by God\u2019s grace when the answer isn\u2019t what we expected. Because not everything God allows is meant to break you\u2026 sometimes it\u2019s meant to shape you.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re going through something that won\u2019t leave, this message is for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":13856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2835,2820,2842],"tags":[3886,2979,3001,3864,2832,3111,2911,3468,3890,3885,3466,2976,3889,2834,2915,3887,3194,3888,2988],"series":[3039],"class_list":["post-13858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-christian-growth","category-featured_en","tag-2-corinthians-12","tag-bible","tag-christian-life","tag-christian-messages","tag-christian-reflection","tag-faith","tag-faith-in-god","tag-god","tag-god-is-faithful","tag-grace-of-god","tag-hope","tag-jesus","tag-paul","tag-somos-cristianos","tag-strength-in-god","tag-thorn-in-the-flesh","tag-trust-god","tag-weakness","tag-word-of-god","series-somos-cristianos-reflexiones-diarias"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Bastate-mi-gracia.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/logo-sc_red_original160px.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/podcasters.amazon.com\/podcasts\/6e73db97-3f04-408e-9d35-fd4e33aab386","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcastsconnect.apple.com\/my-podcasts\/show\/somos-cristianos-%E2%80%93-reflexiones-diarias-de-fe-y-vida\/974e0a64-92cf-4487-a0f4-ab30643d6813\/episodes","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"deezer":{"key":"deezer","url":"https:\/\/www.deezer.com\/us\/show\/1002657781","label":"Deezer","class":"deezer","icon":"deezer.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@SomosCristianos77\/podcasts","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"pandora":{"key":"pandora","url":"https:\/\/www.pandora.com\/podcast\/somos-cristianos-reflexiones-diarias-de-fe-y-vida\/PC:1001113906","label":"Pandora","class":"pandora","icon":"pandora.png"},"pocketcasts":{"key":"pocketcasts","url":"","label":"PocketCasts","class":"pocketcasts","icon":"pocketcasts.png"},"podcast_addict":{"key":"podcast_addict","url":"","label":"Podcast Addict","class":"podcast_addict","icon":"podcast-addict.png"},"podcast_de":{"key":"podcast_de","url":"","label":"Podcast.de","class":"podcast_de","icon":"podcast-de.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2giZxrAdrZZwxeClZoNFoV","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/show\/1113906","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"tunein":{"key":"tunein","url":"","label":"TuneIn","class":"tunein","icon":"tunein.png"},"yandex":{"key":"yandex","url":"","label":"Yandex","class":"yandex","icon":"yandex.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@SomosCristianos77\/podcasts","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"},"iheartradio":{"key":"iheartradio","url":"","label":"iHeartRadio","class":"iheartradio","icon":"iheartradio.png"},"ivoox":{"key":"ivoox","url":"https:\/\/www.ivoox.com\/podcast-somoscristianos-org_sq_f13111753_1.html","label":"iVoox","class":"ivoox","icon":"ivoox.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/en\/feed\/podcast\/somos-cristianos-reflexiones-diarias","embedCode":"
Why didn\u2019t God remove Paul\u2019s thorn? What \u201cMy grace is sufficient\u201d really means.<\/a><\/blockquote>