A Blessed Thorn

What if the very thing you’ve begged God to remove is the tool He’s using to bless you?

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explores the mystery of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”—a lingering burden Paul pleaded with God to take away (2 Corinthians 12:7–9). While Paul could confidently say he counted everything as loss compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8), he still carried a private pain God chose not to remove.

Why? Dr. Youssef explains that God’s grace shines brightest through weakness—not self-sufficiency. Paul recognized his thorn kept him humble, dependent, and focused, making his life and message authentic under scrutiny. Even more, Paul’s obedience remained unconditional. Knowing suffering awaited him, he still pressed forward to fulfill God’s call, declaring his single aim: to finish the race and testify to the Gospel of grace (Acts 20:24).

This devotional will encourage you to:

• stop interpreting weakness as disqualification,
• view your “thorn” through the lens of God’s purpose and grace, and
• trust that God uses physical and emotional pressures to draw you nearer and prepare you for His work.

This episode closes with a short prayer.
Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone. 

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