Friday, July 24, 2009
2 Corinthians 12:8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
DIFFERENT ANSWER . . . BETTER RESULT
For a time Paul didn't think of his "thorn in the flesh" as a gift for his benefit. He thought of it as a hindrance to his ministry, so he asked repeatedly that it be taken away. When we pray about such things, we should also pray that "His will be done," remembering that God's deliverance may not take the form we might like.
In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed: "Your will be done." But the Father's answer was not to take the cup of suffering from Him. Likewise also, Paul prayed that this "thorn" be removed, but God's answer was not to remove it, but to grant the grace to endure it.
Why didn't God remove it? Was God punishing Paul for his former life? Does God delight in our pain? We shouldn't even ask such foolish questions. Suffice it to say that it was what was best for Paul, chosen by the One who sees past, present and future.
Has God given you a thorn in the flesh? Is there trouble in your life? Do you wonder why God has allowed it? Don't despair! As a believer in Jesus, you can be certain that God doesn't hate you, nor is He punishing you for sin. He already punished Jesus.
If He's not punishing me, why would God allow this to come upon me? Do you find that the wrong things sometimes slip into first place in your life and in your family life? Have you been forgetting where the real power in your life lies? Have you been boasting about your accomplishments and making plans for the future without God’s will and word in mind?
Thank God for thorns, whatever form they may take, because they serve to humble us and to remind us that we are weak and dependent upon the Lord.
