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The Daily Devotional
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Grace Enough for This Moment
Reflection
Paul’s words to the church in Corinth came from a place of deep struggle. He had known visions, revelations, ministry, suffering, opposition, and spiritual weight beyond what most people could imagine. Yet in the middle of all that, he carried what he called a “thorn in the flesh.” We are not told exactly what it was, and perhaps that is part of the mercy of Scripture. Because it is not named, many who suffer can find themselves somewhere within Paul’s words.
Paul pleaded with the Lord three times that this thorn might be taken away. His prayer was honest. It was repeated. It came from a man of faith, not from unbelief. But God’s answer was not deliverance in the way Paul requested. The Lord did not say, “I will remove it.” He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
That is not an easy answer, but it is a holy one.
For those who live with chronic physical pain, weakness, disability, or long-term suffering, this passage speaks with quiet authority. It does not deny the pain. It does not pretend that suffering is small. It meets pain with the presence of Christ.
Each morning begins before the sun crests the Florida Mountains, and for me, so does the pain. There is a deep ache in my lower spine, a burning and numbing pain that can travel down into my legs. Simple movements require slow calculation: getting out of bed, bending to put on shoes, rising from a chair, walking across a room. These ordinary things, which once came without thought, now often come with prayerful grit.
Degenerative disc disease has stolen ease, but it has not stolen faith. Years ago, a neurologist told me there was no cure. He could ease the symptoms for a while, but the condition would continue to worsen. He told me that eventually I might need a wheelchair. After three spine surgeries, there are times when I use a wheelchair to get around, especially in large stores like Home Depot or Walmart. Even pain management is complicated. Many pain medications are hard on the kidneys, and with Stage 3A chronic kidney disease, that road is narrow.
For years, I have asked the Lord to take it away. Sometimes I still do. There is no shame in that prayer. Paul prayed it too. But more often now, another prayer rises beside it: “Lord, what will You do through this?”
I think back to a day when I watched my neighbor repair a broken fence. He limped as he worked. One hand steadied his body while the other held a tool. His progress was slow, almost painfully slow to watch, but it was steady. He measured, adjusted, paused, leaned, and worked again. By the end of the day, the fence stood.
That image stayed with me. Not because the man’s pain disappeared, but because the work was still accomplished. Not quickly. Not easily. Not without cost. But with perseverance.
Sometimes grace looks like that.
Grace is not always the sudden lifting of the burden. Sometimes grace is the strength to take the next step with the burden still there. It is the breath between waves of pain. It is the courage to preach when standing feels impossible. It is the patience to serve in smaller ways than before. It is the faith to pray when healing has not yet come. It is the quiet endurance to write, walk, rest, weep, and rise again.
Paul’s words are no longer abstract to those who live with pain. God’s power is made perfect in weakness not because weakness itself is pleasant, but because Christ draws near there. The Lord does not waste the places where we feel most fragile. He meets us in them. He dwells there. He teaches us that strength in the kingdom of God is not always the power to overcome outward limitation; sometimes it is the grace to remain faithful within it.
Perhaps today you are grieving what your body can no longer do. Perhaps you remember the days when movement was easy, when work was faster, when pain did not shape your calendar or your energy. That grief is real. But do not let yesterday’s ability rob today’s grace.
Choose one moment today—while walking, resting, weeping, working, or waiting—and intentionally invite Jesus into it. Say aloud, “Your grace is enough for this moment.” Write it down where you can see it. Repeat it when pain flares. Let it become an anchor.
Degenerative disc disease, chronic illness, disability, or weakness may shape the rhythm of our days, but they do not define our purpose or our faith. Weakness is not failure. In the hands of Christ, it can become the very place where God chooses to dwell, sustain, and reveal His grace.
And when we are weak, held by Him, then we are strong.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, meet us in the places where our bodies ache, our strength fades, and our spirits grow weary. We confess that we often long for relief, healing, and restoration, and we trust that You hear those prayers with compassion. Yet even when the thorn remains, teach us to receive the grace You give for this moment. Help us not to be defined by pain, weakness, illness, or limitation, but by Your faithful presence within us. Strengthen those who suffer today, comfort those who feel forgotten, and remind us that Your power is made perfect in weakness. Let Your grace be enough for this breath, this step, this hour, and this day. Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the World English Bible (WEB), which is a Public Domain Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Holy Bible, first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. It is in draft form and is currently being edited for accuracy and readability. All rights reserved.
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