【林后12:9】他对我说，我的恩典够你用的。因为我的能力，是在人的软弱上显得完全。所以我更喜欢夸自己的软弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我。【2Cor12: 9】But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

保罗因着“身上的一根刺”，三次求主叫这刺离开。神为什么没有挪去难处？新约27卷书，神使用保罗写了13封书信，所得的启示甚大。Because of “a thorn in his flesh,” Paul asked the Lord three times to take it away. Why didn’t God remove it? Out of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, God used Paul to write thirteen, and he received great revelation.保罗明白了那“一根刺”是神何等的恩典，让他真知道自己的软弱，如果没有神这‘一根刺’的时时提醒，他何等容易被仇敌试探，陷进骄傲的网罗里。因此他更喜欢夸自己的软弱，好持守在谦卑无有里，时时依靠神的恩典，好叫基督的能力覆庇他。Paul came to see that this “thorn” was actually God’s grace, teaching him his own weakness. Without that constant reminder, he could have been easily tempted by the enemy and caught in the trap of pride. So instead he chose to boast in his weakness, keeping himself humble, always depending on God’s grace, so that the power of Christ would rest on him.

耶稣道成肉身，经历人的一切软弱，祂服事也疲乏、困倦、饥饿、仇敌用各种方法试探祂，耶稣却时时祷告，心里充满真理，住在父的爱里。在客西马尼园，祂曾惊恐、忧伤、几乎要死。Jesus came in human flesh and knew all our weakness. In His ministry He grew tired, weary, hungry, and the enemy tried to tempt Him in every way. But He prayed continually, His heart full of truth, living in the Father’s love. In the garden of Gethsemane He felt fear and sorrow, to the point of death.耶稣在最软弱的时候，曾三次求父将苦杯挪去，祂没有掩盖自己的痛苦，诚诚实实地向父哭求自己的软弱。然而他心里，祂定意不求自己的意思成就，只愿父的旨意成就。父悦纳祂顺服至死的心，没有挪去十字架，加给他力量，施恩帮助祂完成使命。成了！At His weakest moment, He prayed three times that the Father would take the cup away. He didn’t hide His pain — He cried honestly to the Father about His weakness. Yet in His heart He resolved not to seek His own will, but only the Father’s. The Father accepted His heart of obedience unto death. He didn’t take away the cross but gave Him strength and grace to finish the mission. “It is finished!”耶稣因软弱被钉在十字架上，却因神的大能从死里复活了。向我们显明：我们若是同基督一同向神软弱，也必因　神向我们所显的大能，也必与他同活。Jesus was crucified in weakness, but raised from the dead by God’s power. This shows us: if we share in Christ’s weakness before God, we will also share His life by the power God gives.

主啊，求你赦免我，常常忘记自己的本相和你的恩典，做了一点点事情，就不知不觉的就骄傲起来，自夸、自己作神…借着难处临到，才知道自己不过是软弱的受造之物，离了主，真的什么也不是。Lord, forgive me. I so often forget who I am and forget Your grace. I do a little, and I’m already proud — boasting, acting as if I were God. Only when trials come do I see that I’m nothing but a weak creature, and apart from You, I’m nothing.主啊，感谢你，启示了保罗你施恩的法则，软弱是领受你恩典的前提，人因软弱才可以依靠你，得着你恩典。你要借着软弱的器皿彰显你的完全和能力。让人看见不再是我，乃是基督的生命和权能在我们身上彰显。Lord, thank You for showing Paul Your way of grace: weakness is the condition for receiving grace. It is through weakness that we depend on You and receive what You give. You choose weak vessels to show Your greatness and power, so that people see not me, but Christ’s life and power shining through us.

主啊，我渴望你的完全和能力不断地充满我、覆庇我。我愿意效法保罗，如同他效法你。带领我常常思想你的脚踪，你软弱的时候，是怎样来到父面前，立志荣耀父，顺服至死也要完成父的托付，尽心、尽力、尽性、尽意把自己摆上，承认自己的软弱，父必施恩，Lord, I long for Your power and fullness to cover me and fill me. I want to follow Paul, just as he followed You. Lead me to remember Your steps — how, in Your weakness, You came before the Father, set on glorifying Him, obeying unto death, finishing the task given to You, offering Yourself with all heart, soul, mind, and strength, acknowledging weakness, and the Father gave You grace.信父如何施恩基督，也必施恩与我。让我也经历，因软弱却愿为基督丧掉自己，不顾自己，基督也必要让祂的能力覆庇我，使我顺服至死得真刚强，见证神的大能，羔羊得胜的道路、真理、生命。Just as the Father gave grace to Christ, so He will give grace to me. Let me also know this: in weakness, willing to lose myself for Christ, not looking after myself, then Christ will let His power rest on me, making me strong through obedience even to death, to testify of God’s power, the Lamb’s way, truth, and life of victory.（付传道和陈弟兄   Pastor Fu and Raymond Chan）