~By Sharon Czerwien
Can you think back to a dark time in your life? Perhaps it was a tough trial or a fearful set of circumstances.
For me, it was when my youngest was a baby. This child was sickly and spent time in the hospital as a one-month-old. As a result of treatments, this child’s gut was in disarray, which made for tough times and rough sleep for all-too long!
Those long, distressing nights were a lot for me. Like A LOT!
There were two Bible verses (put to song that you may recognize) that truly sustained me.
"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24, NKJV)
"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NKJV)
I sang them internally or out loud over and over and over again. Without my focus on these verses, I think I would have been in complete disarray.
The Apostle Paul’s Example
We see in 2 Corinthians 12 that the Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh. Though this was not a literal thorn, it was a continual trial for Paul. It says in 12:8 that Paul pleaded with God three times for it to be removed from his life. Many commentators believe this may have been a physical ailment, perhaps involving his eyes (based on Galatians 4:15).
God’s plan, though, was that this thorn would not be removed. What a bummer-of-a-story, right?
Actually, no! Paul goes on to write the following in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
What a concept! The Apostle Paul learned that through human weakness, we can better understand the power of God.
It is the power and grace of God that will sustain us! What an encouraging thought. This power and grace can hold us and strengthen us when we would otherwise feel hopeless.
An Ideal Song
I really like a Christian singing group called CityAlight. I was first introduced to them, thanks to Pastor Evan.
One of this group’s songs goes perfectly with the Apostle Paul’s story. Of course, I do not know for sure, but it is possible this group considered the above 2 Corinthians passage when writing the song lyrics.
Either way, I think the song makes a great fit. The song is called, Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me.
My favorite lyrics of the song are below:
“The night is dark, but I am not forsaken. For by my side, the Savior He will stay.”
“I labor on in weakness and rejoicing, for in my need His power is displayed.”
Here is a link to the song.
Rest easy; God’s got this!
~Sharon
Indeed…a great reminder!