The Bible tells us the Apostle Paul suffered from some kind of 'thorn in the flesh' (2 Cor. 12:7).
There's been a lot of speculation as to what this thorn was, but we really don't know what ailed Paul.
Yet we do know it was troublesome enough that he asked God several times to remove it.
And we know the Lord
chose not to take the source of Paul's suffering away... so he would stay humble and learn to draw on the power of God.
The fact that God had a specific purpose for Paul's suffering is comforting... and it should encourage us as we consider our own suffering.
There's not a person alive who doesn't suffer from something he or she wouldn't like to see
removed.
The only question is... do we respond to our suffering in a way that makes it meaningful?
In other words... do we just grumble about our suffering and wish it would go away?
Or, do we trust that God has a reason for our suffering? And that He's using it as a tool... to keep us faithful, and shape us and make us uniquely
suited to serve Him well in the place He has us?