Hope in Christ

We’ve all experienced it. That crucible moment in our lives when the pain and suffering is beyond our human capacity to endure, and we cry out or we act out to seek relief. This shared human experience is an unfortunate reality of living in a broken world that has been stained with the curse of sin. And yet, no theological understanding can explain away the reality of the pain that is truly experienced.

Paul’s thorn in his flesh was truly agonizing. So much so that he prayed three times for the Lord to take It away. For one, we don’t know the time frame of those three requests. It could have spanned a matter of days, weeks, months, even years. Second, notice the nature of Paul’s prayer – the ESV says he “pleaded” with the Lord. It’s the Greek word parakaleo, which means to call near for comfort. I can only imagine how Paul not only prayed in his mind, but he prayed physically, he prayed with all his heart. Those prayers were likely accompanied with sore knees and tears of sorrow and desperation.

Have you been there before? I’m sure we all have!

This Advent season, as we consider the spiritual warfare that surrounds us, let’s not give up in pleading with God! And let’s be encouraged by remembering the One to whom we’re praying and pleading. In John 14:16, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit upon his departure from this world with these words, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…” That “other” Helper is just like Jesus, in that He is our Helper, or Comforter, which is the translation of the Greek word parakletos.

In our times of desperation, when we pray and plead for comfort from God, He sends the great Comforter. Be encouraged saint, for He is with you!