Wednesday, November 4, 2026
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).
If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?
Under the Law of Moses, hardships (sickness, drought/famine, pestilence, military defeat, exile, and so on) were signs of Divine displeasure, the LORD God unhappy with sinful Israel and punishing her. These various curses are meticulously itemized in Leviticus 26:14-46 and Deuteronomy 28:15-68. (Conversely, blessings were received for obedience, exactly as promised in Leviticus 26:1-13 and Deuteronomy 28:1-14.) Again, this is the agreement the Jewish people willingly made with God at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:1-8.
As Saul of Tarsus, being a rabbinical scholar and religious fanatic, the Apostle Paul had grown up in Judaism and under the Law (Philippians 3:4-6). Watch how he suffers an enigmatic “thorn in the flesh” and repeatedly prays for deliverance from it—and be sure to note the Lord’s reply and Paul’s response. Second Corinthians 12:7-10 reads: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. [Paul reacts] Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Paul indeed received an answer to his prayer… just not what he expected. The Lord would not deliver him from that suffering. Prayer did not change Paul’s circumstances, but it did change Paul in his circumstances. The Apostle embraced a new outlook on suffering, for God showed how He had switched the program from Law to Grace. Behold! Contrary to what we learn in works-religion, prayer is not about manipulating God to do whatever we want. As mature people, we conclude that it is far better for us to pray in line with what God is doing, rather than assuming He is doing something else and praying in ignorance….
