Scripture: 2nd Corinthians 12:1-10
Apostle Paul was a man who was all sold out for Christ, he considered himself a ‘bond servant’ of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1). In Corinth, some kind of arrogancy was going on among the brethren about their spiritual standard; Paul started by saying that it was not necessary for him to be boastful but he will talk about visions and revelations from the Lord. We know Paul was very vast in spiritual things, he wrote about the gifts of the spirit from his experience. Hence, he gave a revelation about a man who was caught up in the third heaven and heard utterances beyond the power of man to put to words, meaning unspeakable words. He was actually referring to himself but you see it took him 14 years to speak about his third heaven experience. Despite his level in spiritual matters, he said he will only boast in his weaknesses and give glory to God.
Paul went on to talk about his struggles, infirmities, challenges, his thorns, the constant reoccurring attacks of which he went to the Lord in prayer over the matter that the situation would change. Like Jesus prayed three time at the garden of Gesemane “Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me”, Paul went to the Lord three times for intervention and probably tried to bargain with God, like we would do sometimes: Father, do this, that people will know I am serving a living God. Lord, your work will be well done if you do this, if you perform that miracle, provide for that need etc. You may have cried to God over and over again to do something about your condition. We are to call on God when in trouble, sometimes troubles are sent to draw us closer to God and be conformed to Christ.
Even though Paul did not speak of his experience in third heaven for 14 years, that experience strengthened him to endure patiently all the sufferings in the years ahead. Sometimes, when the Lord gives us a revelation, it helps to keep us focus on what lies ahead and undermine distractions. Paul’s harassment by Satan was allowed by God to keep him humble. There are two ways we can be humbled, either we humble ourselves or allow God to humble us. It is better for us to humble ourselves because, when we leave it to God to do the work, it will not be fun, we may not be able to handle it. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
The Lord responded to Paul’s prayer by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” God allows thorns in our flesh to humble us, bring us closer to him, so we can be dependent on him. When all is well with us, we tend to withdraw from God sometimes, no trust in him, no remembrance of him; only to run back to him when things are going the opposite direction.
What is your thorn?
Job was one man who had thorns in his flesh, he was afflicted for what he knew nothing about. A judgement was passed in the spirit realm, there was an accusation against him, he was sentenced in his absence. As children of God, for whatever happens to us, God is aware. Take your trouble to the throne of grace, ask the Lord to do something about it and God will give you something better. For some, their thorns could be trouble in relationships, business not going well, children may have strayed away, no jobs, low finances; a thorn could be spiritual – not praying enough, can’t study the bible as before, no zeal for the things of God, no hunger to know God more, don’t want to fellowship with believers and so on. The thorn in the flesh could be opposition, setback, lack, death in the family, goals not met. In all, God is aware, you may not see his hands but trust his heart. He has great plans for you to prosper you and do his good pleasure. Here is how Paul reacted to his thorns: “Most gladly, therefore, I would rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2nd Corinthians 12:9-10).
God is too good to be wicked to his people, God is full of wisdom therefore he cannot make mistakes, there are reasons why he allows certain things in our lives and he is too deep for us to understand, even when he tries to explain it, we cannot comprehend it. Sometimes, we want to get our arms around knowing God. We cannot know God all the way, the more we draw closer to him, the more there is to know about him; the more we want to know him, the more we know that there is more to know about him. The grace of the Lord is sufficient for you in all circumstances, situations and conditions.
The song “He Giveth More Grace” by Annie Johnson Flint, is a summary of it all:
“He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.
“When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
“Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
“His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.”