Not a few believers over the centuries have found our text as a source of strength and consolation in unpleasant situations. The veracity of this scripture may not be proven immediately, but if we wait without murmuring it will play out well. I once read about Corrie ten Boom and her Sister Betsy at the Nazi concentration camp. That particular camp was overcrowded and flea-infested, a situation that would generally be nauseating. They managed to smuggle a Bible into the camp, and in it they found that they were to give thanks for all things, and that God could use anything to advance His plan for His children. Corie ten Boom’s sister took this literally and insisted that they thank God for the fleas. Strangely, the guards did not visit that camp for several months, giving them the luxury of holding open Bible studies. It was later they learned that the soldiers avoided that camp because of the fleas!

If you have an  issue that won’t just go away after doing all that is humanly and spiritually possible, you need to come to terms that God must have a purpose for it. Thank God for whatever the case may be.

Paul had some flea following him everywhere. Well, he did not call it that; he described it as a thorn in his flesh. That was what the Lord used to shut him up against any tendency of pride. He prayed three times, but the “flea” remained. At the end of it all Paul had enough to humble him before God, drawing grace daily to handle those unpleasant experiences created by the unwanted visitor. If you have an  issue that won’t just go away after doing all that is humanly and spiritually possible, you need to come to terms that God must have a purpose for it. Thank God for whatever the case may be. You can also pray that God will open your eyes to see what good He is making for you out of the problem.