El Shaddai

A thorn in the flesh. Have you ever had one? I have. If it was in the bottom of your foot and you are an active person, no doubt that thorn was many things: an annoyance, a constant reminder of living with pain, many questions about what do you do with it, etc. That thorn in the flesh can be small and relatively easy to deal with or HUGE and life threatening. But whatever it might be, here are Paul's words about his thorn "I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. BUT HE SAID TO ME, 'MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.'" 2 Corinthians 12: 7-9 NIV These words can bring comforting or "Oh No" feelings. Take it away Paul prayed three times we know of and you may have prayed this a zillion times. Regardless, Paul turns our focus from the thorn to God's grace. It is a SPECIAL grace - sufficient SUSTAINING grace. God is our EL SHADDAI. El-Shaddai, El-Shaddai, El-Elyon na Adonai Age to age You're still the same By the power of the name El-Shaddai, El-Shaddai, Erkahmka na Adonai I will praise You till I die, El-Shaddai (Amy Grant's El-Shaddai)