
A Thorn in the Flesh Moments with God, Vol. 97
Intricately folded petals release a delightful fragrance drawing you in for a closer look. Clutching the rose’s stem to your nose, you hastily draw back nursing a painfully pricked finger. You have found a thorn. Thorns hurt! Sometimes they prick but can also dig deep, causing pain that lasts for a while, maybe drawing blood.
A thorn can be more than what is found on the stem of a flower. Sometimes a thorn may be a situation or a person that constantly nags or irritates causing unendurable pain. Thorns in our life definitely vary in intensity from a painful prick to a heart filled with agony. Often the pain may cut you so deeply, you do not know which way to turn or what steps to take to bring it to an end. With the depth of pain so intense, all you want is for it to come to an end in any way possible, but sometimes, the removal of the thorn is not possible.
Have you ever experienced a “thorn in the flesh,” or maybe you are experiencing one now? What is the thing that keeps your mind in turmoil? The thing that keeps you tossing in the night? What leaves you without answers desperately looking for a way out? What causes you to fall on your knees before the Father begging for Him to take it away?
Paul found himself suffering from a thorn in the flesh. Having been caught up into the presence of God for a period of time, his experience was so overwhelming. He was not sure whether his experience was in the body or out, but he knew he was with God. He received extraordinary revelations from God, which was incredibly special and beyond the experience of any other. God knew this could have led Paul to exalting himself, so to keep a heart of humility in Paul, God sent him a thorn delivered by Satan.
“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
The thorn was painful. It brought Paul torment, causing him to beg God for relief. In hearing his prayer, God answered, but not the answer Paul was hoping for. In allowing Satan to bring suffering into Paul’s life, God had good purposes in mind for him. Rather than removing the thorn, He provided grace. God’s grace was sufficient, providing all Paul needed to endure the suffering. As Paul relied on God’s all sufficient grace, he was strengthened in faith, grew in his ability to minister to others, and showed God even more glorious. No matter how intense the suffering as the result of Paul’s thorn, God’s grace supplied more than enough to meet his every need. As Paul’s eyes were opened to God’s glorious purposes in his suffering, he delighted in suffering so those around him could see the power of God through his weakness.
For the most part, I do not like the thorns that plague me. I do not delight in them. I want to pull them out and make everything better. As I work through the situations in my mind, I think through every scenario trying to come to a conclusion that will draw the thorn out and make it permanently go away. Rather than going to God, I step ahead of Him looking for understanding, an explanation, a way out. When I come to the end of myself, I realize I can change nothing. Falling before my Father, I beg for Him to remove the thorn that has lodged itself so deeply within me. Instead, He offers His grace. I realize how thankful I am for my thorns. As I seek God’s guidance and help, I see Him. I am strengthened and encouraged as He grabs my hand and helps me continue my journey. As we walk along I see beauty, like a rose in the midst of the thorns.
We all experience thorns in our life from time to time, and maybe yours has been lodged for a long time, causing continual turmoil and pain. While I wish I could take it away from you, I urge you instead to lay it before our Father. God has good purposes in mind for you – maybe to reveal some hidden issues you need to care for, maybe He is preparing you for some work only you can do – whatever the case, He has a purpose. He longs for you to come to Him in your weakness and allow His overwhelming grace to flood you in your situation and make you strong. Draw near to Him and experience His amazing grace.