“because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me” - 11 Cor 12:7 (NIV)
One might like to wonder why the thorn Apostle Paul suffered here. A glimpse in his life quickly reveals that he was no ordinary person in the Lord’s kingdom. It was Paul who rebuked the girl with a demon who kept following him and Barnabas, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment” (Acts 16:18). Paul survived shipwrecks and had incredible revelations in his life. If you needed to see a General in the Lord’s army, here was one.
But General as he was he had this thorn in his life which in spite of all his prayers would not go away. While many have speculated what this thorn was as he never went into specifics there is no doubt it was some pain. “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me” (vv 8). It still persisted.
Virtually every follower of Christ suffers some thorn, much like Paul. It could be a physical ailment or a certain limitation in life that keeps one down at a certain level. The thorn in flesh may be constant persecutions in the market place or the loss of something precious and treasured in one’s life. Thorns can be repeated denials to achieve a great desire in spite of all efforts. There is nothing there to smile about a thorn. A thorn sucks.
But if we may look at the life of Paul actually that thorn in our life is for a reason. It is to bring us closer to the Lord, by absolutely depending on Him. Look at it this way: the one without a thorn starts boasting in his greatness and ultimately finds no need for God in his life. But you with the thorn know how much you need God in your life for His grace to sustain and carry you through. As Paul later notes: “ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (vv 9). Much as he hated this thorn, he grew to be thankful for it, having found a reason for it.
So, friend, learn to delight in whatever thorn you may find in your life, like Paul: : “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” ( 11 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, where I find a thorn in my life, as such, may I never lose hope in you, for your grace is sufficient to sustain and draw me closer to you.
Related upcoming events
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06/05/2024 - 07/05/2024 All day“Do not confirm to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)
Almost all cultivators are aware that if soils are used perpetually without rains but constantly under work they are deprived of all nutrients. So, though once productive, they lose all power to yield fresh crops as before. But so is our Christian life when we do not regularly feed our spirit life with the Word!
In our leading verse, the Apostle Paul is urging believers to “renew” their minds rather than make them stale, lest they end up losing all power to yield fruit. But how is this done? We renew our minds by constantly reading the Word of God, for there are always insights with God speaking to us afresh. Psalm 119:104-5 says, “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” The Apostle Peter reminds us, “Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow and be saved.” It is a beautiful illustration for any who have seen a hungry baby sucking the teats of a mother.
Renewing our minds is also by reading about the lives of people of faith who have walked before us and their created works. The Christian faith started in the first century after Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Now over two millenniums it has produced giants of faith who have shared their walk with God through inspired teachings that are a treasure to dig into. By scouring the writings of the great saints before us, listening to their recorded sermons, songs and preaching, which these days can be found on virtual medial channels like Yu tube, reading their biographies, our faith is renewed.
And then we also renew our faith through fellowship. When the Apostle Paul urges us, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” ( Hebrews 10:25), he is reminding us that our faith cannot grow in isolation. During the Covid pandemic lockdown one bitter issue was denying Believers opportunity to meet fellow followers of Christ to share testimonies showing the work of God in their lives.
So today, if your faith is on a low keel, or you want it to flower, one thing you can’t help doing without is “renewing” your mind. The blessings to unfold are endless.
Prayer for today:Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a treasure we have of your rich Word to dig into always; books around us of faith to inspire us; and believers to share our faith- may we make use of these, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
