"Thorn in my flesh!"
2 Corinthians 12: 7 - 10"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from 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 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."
I have always wondered "Why does God's children have to suffer so much on this earth? Our Lord is an almighty and an all powerful God then why does he allow sufferings and torment on those who call upon His name". I have noticed that those who are very much closer to God face a lot of problems in life. Why is that so?
The above verse tells us about how Paul accepts that in order for him not to be proud or arrogant about his faith, God gave him a thorn in his flesh to torment him. Nobody knows what exactly is this "thorn" but it's evident that its painful cause he says it's from the evil one and that it's to torment him. So this thorn is really making him suffer. Just imagine, Paul was so close to God still he suffered and so did many of our forefathers who walked along with God. Huh! Then what are we that we should not suffer? But Paul also says that he pleaded with God three times to free him from this bondage but realized that the answer to it was a blank NO and that God's grace was sufficient for him to go thru that pain. So Paul accepted it. He happily accepted all his weaknesses and not only that, he even boasted about his weaknesses and his shortcomings. Oh what a great attitude!
Have I ever accepted that I suffer so that I will not fall short of His grace and be proud and sin? Am I able to praise God for my sickness, my joblessness, my loneliness, my depressions, my troubled relations, or anything that causes me pain? It's too difficult, instead I might say to the Lord "Why did you do this to me?" or "Why can't you take this away from me?" I cannot accept my pains or I cannot take a NO as an answer from God if I don't have the grace of God and if I cannot accept that my Lord can strengthen me in my weakness. The truth is that the Lord will never burden us more than what is not bearable for us.
Many times I have prayed to God to give me some sorrow whenever I have felt that I can't feel the Lord's presence with me. It's humane to wade off from his presence when we don't have any troubles. So God purposely gives us some thorns in life so that we will stick on to Him and that we will humble ourselves before him always. You know somebody once said "I find happiness in my sorrow." To be frank i have also felt the same many times. I have really felt happy in being sad. And I used to feel "Am I crazy!" but now I think to think like that also you need the grace of God. I have felt that way because I had realized that I am closer to God when I have that sorrow and I have really enjoyed that company of my Lord. The greatest pain during my past days was my loneliness but now I realize that loneliness has kept me closer to God but instead of enjoying that precious company i just kept complaining to him for making me feel so. Wish I could take it as a blessing and took full advantage of my time with my Lord.
Let's think about the thorn in our life? Then let's pray about it to the Lord and if it's a NO, let's accept it and ask Him to strengthen us by His grace.
Let's Pray: -
Dear Lord, thank you for the sufferings or the sickness that you have given me so that I will always humble myself before you and not be proud in life. Lord make me strong by your grace in my weaknesses. I know that you do all for good so help me to trust in you always even when the situations are in such a way that the evil one will persuade me to be against you. May your spirit guide me always. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!
I have always wondered "Why does God's children have to suffer so much on this earth? Our Lord is an almighty and an all powerful God then why does he allow sufferings and torment on those who call upon His name". I have noticed that those who are very much closer to God face a lot of problems in life. Why is that so?
The above verse tells us about how Paul accepts that in order for him not to be proud or arrogant about his faith, God gave him a thorn in his flesh to torment him. Nobody knows what exactly is this "thorn" but it's evident that its painful cause he says it's from the evil one and that it's to torment him. So this thorn is really making him suffer. Just imagine, Paul was so close to God still he suffered and so did many of our forefathers who walked along with God. Huh! Then what are we that we should not suffer? But Paul also says that he pleaded with God three times to free him from this bondage but realized that the answer to it was a blank NO and that God's grace was sufficient for him to go thru that pain. So Paul accepted it. He happily accepted all his weaknesses and not only that, he even boasted about his weaknesses and his shortcomings. Oh what a great attitude!
Have I ever accepted that I suffer so that I will not fall short of His grace and be proud and sin? Am I able to praise God for my sickness, my joblessness, my loneliness, my depressions, my troubled relations, or anything that causes me pain? It's too difficult, instead I might say to the Lord "Why did you do this to me?" or "Why can't you take this away from me?" I cannot accept my pains or I cannot take a NO as an answer from God if I don't have the grace of God and if I cannot accept that my Lord can strengthen me in my weakness. The truth is that the Lord will never burden us more than what is not bearable for us.
Many times I have prayed to God to give me some sorrow whenever I have felt that I can't feel the Lord's presence with me. It's humane to wade off from his presence when we don't have any troubles. So God purposely gives us some thorns in life so that we will stick on to Him and that we will humble ourselves before him always. You know somebody once said "I find happiness in my sorrow." To be frank i have also felt the same many times. I have really felt happy in being sad. And I used to feel "Am I crazy!" but now I think to think like that also you need the grace of God. I have felt that way because I had realized that I am closer to God when I have that sorrow and I have really enjoyed that company of my Lord. The greatest pain during my past days was my loneliness but now I realize that loneliness has kept me closer to God but instead of enjoying that precious company i just kept complaining to him for making me feel so. Wish I could take it as a blessing and took full advantage of my time with my Lord.
Let's think about the thorn in our life? Then let's pray about it to the Lord and if it's a NO, let's accept it and ask Him to strengthen us by His grace.
Let's Pray: -
Dear Lord, thank you for the sufferings or the sickness that you have given me so that I will always humble myself before you and not be proud in life. Lord make me strong by your grace in my weaknesses. I know that you do all for good so help me to trust in you always even when the situations are in such a way that the evil one will persuade me to be against you. May your spirit guide me always. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!
Comments
Thank you for the inspiring words you wrote through Holy Spirit. it might be a normal writing for others but it will tie somebody’s deep wound, like me....sweet kisses to your cute baby, God bless you all, keep on writing.
Sunu
Your above comment has filled my eyes with tears and my heart with joy to the Lord as he has heard my prayer to touch the hearts of all who read my blog and your comment proves that he has. Thank you so much for your words of inspiration and for your love to my baby. Please uphold me in your prayers so that I will be able to write more thru the Holy Spirit.
God bless you and keep you happy always.
Your sister in Christ,
Frency