Whenever I had a fever as a child, I would have the same recurring nightmare. I was standing in a dense forest when the trees suddenly began to fall and roll down a mountain slope. In terror, I’d run until I’d reached a mountain lake and then I would leap into the water, only to find the logs filling the lake, leaving no space for me to come up for air. I would always wake up in a panic, gasping.
Maybe that dream had a deeper meaning, or maybe it was just the fever playing tricks on me. But it comes to mind when I think of Paul’s experience in today’s reading—a spiritual vision of what he calls the “third heaven.” It was a divine encounter that gave him strength and motivation to continue proclaiming the gospel, even through deep personal suffering.
Paul shares that he pleaded with the Lord to remove what he calls a “thorn in his flesh.” Some scholars believe this may have been a physical illness, a recurring affliction, or perhaps an injury from the many persecutions he endured. Whatever it was, Paul came to understand that his suffering wasn’t something to escape, but something through which God’s power could be revealed.
Instead of seeing his hardship as a limitation, Paul flipped the narrative. In weakness, he found strength because of Christ.
I’ve always been inspired by people who endure adversity with grace and purpose. Whether it’s someone facing a rare disease, paralysis, long-term illness, or injury, their strength often shines through in ways that uplift not only themselves but everyone around them. How about you? Have you met someone whose resilience left a mark on your life?
Paul writes: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Paul, like Jesus, was often misunderstood. His gentleness and humility were seen as weaknesses. Yet that very posture of surrender led to unexpected strength—a strength not of his own making, but from God.
Reflection:
- How have you seen gentleness or humility misunderstood as weakness? How did God redeem that (see Matthew 5:5)?
- How do you respond when God seems silent in the face of your most urgent prayers?
- What does God’s promise in verse 9 mean to you today?
- When have you seen God work through your weakness to bring about something good?
Prayer:
Lord, we pray—and pray again—“your will be done.” Help us to rest securely in your will and keep moving forward, no matter what lies ahead. Strengthen us when we are weak and make us able to do hard things through the power of Christ our Lord. Amen.