Why God’s ‘No’ is a Divine Yes to Something Greater

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 KJV 1900

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

In 1892, Thomas Edison famously failed over a thousand times before inventing the light bulb. Each 'no' was a step toward the brilliant invention that changed our world. Similarly, when God says 'no' in our lives, it might feel like a setback, but often, it’s simply His way of redirecting us to something greater. Just as Edison persevered, we too must trust that God’s denials are part of His plan for something more illuminating in our journey.

Interesting fact, Nikola Tesla would create a new light bulb in six months for the Chicago World’s Fair without infringing on any of Edison’s patents since Edison refused him the right to use invention. We used Tesla’s bulb longer than Edison’s variant, in fact, we call them fluorescent lamps.

Oftentimes in our lives it seems as though God does not answer our prayers, but God does hear and answers our prayers.

The background of this text is that Paul is speaking of a man who was called up into heaven for a few moments. I believe that Paul is referring to himself, possibly when he was stoned at Lystra/Iconium.

How do we deal with God’s response to our request being ‘No.’?

What does the term 'thorn in the flesh' signify in the context of the passage?

Something that makes Paul weak, or shows his insufficiency whether physically, mentally, or spiritually.

Notice the word ‘buffet’, this is the Greek word κολαφίζω (kolaphizo) which means to beat with the fist. To literally torment someone by means of assault.

Sufficiency of God’s Grace

Does it matter how many times Paul prayed before God answered?

No. God could answer when he prayed the first time, what it does signify is that it was a serious matter to Paul to pray over it more than once.

What are infirmities?

Sickness, disease, or physical weakness.

What are reproaches?

These are insults both violent and nonviolent.

What are necessities?

These are times of disaster or tribulation.

I think we all know about persecutions.

These are full out assaults that will usually result in one’s life being taken or close to it.

What aree distresses?

These are times when a troubling or difficult situation comes quickly and there is a short time to resolve the issue.

Think about when Paul was shipwrecked. The disaster came suddenly and he had to act quickly to survive.

How can the notion of God saying 'no' to our prayers lead us to a deeper trust in His plan?

Source of Strength

Who is the source of Paul’s strength?

Christ.

Why is it important to remember the source of our strength?

For me, it is easy to think in terms of my physical strength because oftentimes that is what we can ‘measure’ or what we use to base our ability to accomplish a task.

Secret to Strength

What does Paul mean when he states, 'when I am weak, then am I strong'?

Paul reveals a great secret that his weakness is God’s power working in his life.

This is a great revelation, that when we feel weak and feeble, God is often working mightily through our weaknesses.

Let me ask you this question:

What if God did remove the thorn? What would the negative impact have been on Paul’s life?

Many scholars believe that Paul’s eyesight was an issue, he does elude to this in Galatians 4:15.

Galatians 4:15 KJV 1900

15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

This tells us that Paul had some issue with his eyesight. Whether that was his thorn or not, it seemed to affect him enough that he believed it was a hinderance to his ability to serve the Lord.

Galatians 6:11 KJV 1900

11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

This verse means that Paul wrote large characters, not the length of the letter itself.

There is an important truth hidden in verse 9.

The power of Christ in our lives is tied to our weakness. No thorn = no power.

God uses even the thorns in our lives to bring Himself glory.

We want the power of God and yet it comes in the form of the very things we plead God to remove.

It does not mean that every ‘thorn’ cannot be removed or that God will not remove it. But when God says ‘No.’ to removing ‘that thorn’, it means that He is using it to strengthen you in the power of Christ.

The Greek word δύναμις (dynamus) can mean wonderful working power, miracle, or supernatural power. It is the root word for English words such as ‘dynamic’ and ‘dynamo’.

A Dynamo is an electrical generator, it converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

How can we apply the concept of finding strength in our weaknesses in our everyday lives?

I have learned one thing from these verses:

I will gladly keep the thorn that God’s power may be on my life.

Think of Paul, who in weakness was used mightily for God.

Think of how the Lord works in your own life