2 Corinthians 12

I'm taking a set of DVD courses on Biblical counseling. The first six sessions have been okay, but I've mostly been going through it listening for the answers to the test questions. I was a psychology major in college so I find these things relatively interesting, but the introductory six hours have been a little dull. Today I got my money's worth.

Today's session (Dr. Gary Oliver) was on Growth-focused brief therapy. The points that he was making were interesting...choosing achievable goals, focusing on the positive...good reminders, but nothing new. Then he started talking about failure...when things aren't getting better. I've been on the other side of the couch enough to understand what it feels like when problems aren't getting better. It was just last week that I posted in reaction to my own trials, which have no end in sight. He had my attention.

Then he read the passage about Paul's "thorn in the flesh" and his vision from God (2 Corinthians 12): Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness."

Conviction. Repentance. I have experienced that verse first-hand, but how quickly we forget when things get tough. I walk on today with renewed determination to persevere. It will all be worth it to someday hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."