Grace Beneath the Weight of Pain
The Daily Devotional
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Grace Beneath the Weight of Pain
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2_Corinthians 12:9)
Introduction
Paul’s words to the church in Corinth came from a place of deep struggle. He pleaded with God to remove his suffering—what he called a “thorn in the flesh.” But the answer wasn’t deliverance. It was grace. For those who live with unrelenting physical pain, like that caused by degenerative disc disease, this verse speaks with a quiet authority. It doesn’t deny the pain—it meets it with purpose.
Reflection
Each morning begins before the sun crests the Florida Mountains, and for Kenny, the writer of this devotional, so does the pain. It is a deep ache in his lower spine, a numbing burn that radiates down into his legs. Simple movements--getting out of bed, bending to put on shoes--require slow calculation and prayerful grit. Kenny suffers from degenerative disc disease, a condition that has stolen ease, but not faith.
For years, Kenny asked the Lord to take it away. Sometimes he still does. But more often now, he asks a different question: Lord, what will You do through this?
He thinks back to the day he watched his neighbor fix a broken fence. The man limped as he worked, using one hand to steady himself and the other to hold a tool. The progress was slow, but it was steady. The fence stood by the end of the day. That image stuck with Kenny--not because of the pain, but because of the perseverance. Like that neighbor, he, too, works slowly, carefully, daily--strengthened not by a healed back, but by sustaining grace.
Paul’s words are no longer abstract. He understands now what it means for God’s power to be made perfect in weakness. It’s the power that gets him through a sermon when standing feels impossible. It’s the grace that holds him together when his body won’t.
Application
If you live with daily pain, you know it doesn’t just affect your body—it wears on your spirit. Today, instead of striving for what used to be, lean fully into what is: the presence of Christ in the now. Choose one moment—perhaps while walking, resting, or even weeping—and intentionally invite Jesus into it. Say aloud, “Your grace is enough for this moment.” Write it down. Repeat it when pain flares. Let that be your anchor.
Conclusion
Degenerative disc disease may shape the rhythm of his days, but it does not define his purpose or his faith. He is learning, like Paul, that weakness is not failure—it is the place where God chooses to dwell. And in that dwelling, there is a grace that does not falter.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You know this pain—every nerve that burns, every hour of rest disturbed, every task that now takes twice the strength. Thank You for not turning away from my weakness, but choosing to be present within it. Teach me to trust not in my healing, but in Your nearness. Let Your grace be more than a comfort—let it be the very strength I live by. Even when I walk slowly, help me walk with You. In Your holy name, Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV)© 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
