Held in the Waiting: A 33-Day Devotional
Trusting God’s Heart When Healing Is Delayed and Strength Feels Thin
Day 5 — Grace for Today
Theme: Strength Made Perfect in Infirmity
Scripture (Douay-Rheims Bible)
2 Corinthians 12:7–10
“And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me.
For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me.
And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity.
Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
For which cause I please myself in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ. For when I am weak, then am I powerful.”
Meditation
Elisabeth once described her illness as “the thorn I would never have chosen.”
She prayed fervently for it to leave. She asked others to pray. She believed that surely, with enough faith, God would remove it.
Years passed.
One afternoon during a severe flare, when even speaking felt exhausting, she lay quietly and whispered, “Lord, why does this remain?”
No audible answer came. But over time, something shifted.
Instead of removing the thorn, God strengthened her within it.
Friends began confiding in her because she understood suffering. Her faith deepened because she depended daily on grace. Her pride softened. Her compassion grew.
The thorn remained—but so did grace.
And grace proved sufficient.
Reflection
Paul’s words are startlingly honest. He speaks of a “sting of my flesh,” something persistent, unwanted, and humbling. Three times he pleaded for it to be removed. The request was sincere. The faith was genuine.
And yet, the answer was not removal—but grace.
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”
For those living with chronic illness, this passage may stir mixed emotions. We understand Paul’s plea. We understand repeated prayer. We understand longing for relief.
What we struggle with is the possibility that healing may not come immediately—or in the way we expect.
But notice what God promises: not abandonment, not indifference, not dismissal.
He promises sufficient grace.
Grace for today’s appointment.
Grace for tonight’s pain.
Grace for this hour’s fatigue.
Grace for the discouragement that threatens to overwhelm.
Power is made perfect in infirmity—not because weakness is good in itself, but because weakness makes room for divine strength.
When you are strong, you may rely on yourself.
When you are weak, you cling to God.
And in that clinging, something sacred happens.
Christ’s power “dwells” in you. The word suggests abiding, resting, settling in. Your infirmity becomes a meeting place between human frailty and divine strength.
This does not glorify suffering. It glorifies grace within suffering.
Chronic illness may feel like an unwelcome thorn. But it does not disqualify you from spiritual power. In fact, it may deepen your awareness of it.
When you wake exhausted and still choose to trust—that is strength.
When you endure pain and still extend kindness—that is strength.
When you weep and still pray—that is strength.
Grace does not always remove the thorn.
Sometimes it transforms the one who carries it.
Prayer
Lord of Sufficient Grace,
You know the thorn I carry. You see how it limits me, humbles me, and sometimes frustrates me. Like Paul, I have asked for its removal. I have prayed for relief, for restoration, for a different story.
And yet, here I am—still carrying it.
If it is Your will to remove this burden, I will rejoice with gratitude beyond words. But if this season remains, then teach me to receive Your grace fully.
Let Your strength dwell in my weakness. When I feel fragile, be my power. When I feel inadequate, be my sufficiency. When I feel overwhelmed, steady me with Your presence.
Guard my heart from bitterness. Protect me from despair. Replace frustration with quiet confidence that You are working even now.
Help me to see that weakness is not failure. It is an invitation to deeper dependence. And dependence is not defeat—it is intimacy.
Today, I do not ask for tomorrow’s strength. I ask for today’s grace.
Sustain me. Fill me. Strengthen me.
For when I am weak, let me discover the power of Christ resting upon me.
Amen.
