Title

God Humbles Who He Loves

Scripture
Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
(2 Corinthians 12:7)
Devotional
Paul had every reason to be puffed-up. God had revealed to Him half of the books of the New Testament. He saw the Lord. He was gifted with just about every Spiritual gift and preformed many miracles. He truly had an abundance of revelation. Therefore God humbled him with some sort of affliction. We do not know what it was; some think that it was a physical ailment;[1] others think that it was the Judaizers.[2] What or whoever it was matters just a little. The key to the verse is that God will keep us from sin, even if He has to inflict us to do so. That shows the awfulness of sin and the awesomeness of His love for us. We know that we all have knowledge. "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."[3]Therefore, if and when afflictions or the like comes our way, let us realize that we just might be being exulted above measure.

[1] Galatians 4:13
[2] Philippians 3:2 Amplified New Testament
[3] 1 Corinthians 8:1