Thorns

In my last post "Let Go. Let God. - What?" regarding trials and struggles endured while watching loved ones live their lives with no apparent desire to know Christ, I shared a bit of the painful challenges my family and I have been living through for the past two years or so. And, we're not totally out of the woods yet; it's an ongoing trial complete with good days, bad days, disappointments and hopes. For me, living by faith and not by sight can be easier said than done at times. 

I think of how Paul -the guy who wrote a lot of the New Testament- in Romans, tells us how although he knows the right thing to do, he is yet bewildered that he continues to do the wrong thing. The flesh is weak, the Spirit is strong; living by faith was a battle then, and it remains so today.

After sharing this on-going trial in more depth with my pastor, I was encouraged to view things from a different perspective. I was reminded of Paul's thorn in his flesh. It is never revealed to us exactly what this 'thorn' was. However, we know it was causing a lot of pain for Paul and he prayed many times for God to remove it. Paul couldn't understand why he had to deal with this; it was serving no purpose. Or was it? In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Paul writes...

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. (NIV)

God answered Paul's prayer, but not in the way he may have wanted. Paul was instructed from God, that His grace was sufficient enough to endure his painful torment. This also indicates that Paul's suffering was no reason for him to stop proclaiming the Gospel. In fact, from that point on, Paul's new perspective prompted him to do the exact opposite. Paul's faith in God's grace drove him to a humble boldness that motivated him to witness to those around him God's glory and power in his weakness. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade...

As believers, Jesus warns us that we will all face torments of the enemy in one way or another. We are promised great things with Christ in Heaven, not here on earth. But, while here on earth, God's sufficient grace will (and does) provide a peace that surpasses all understanding regardless of what the enemy torments us with - a peace that non believers can't experience. When (not if) things around us seem hopeless, we still have the hope of Christ within us whether we feel it or not. I tell you the truth, that I have this peace when I remind myself of God's promises instead of obsessing on the messes around me. I hope you know this same peace is available to you too.

God's word is a gift to us. It's found in the Holy Bible. You either believe His word is total garbage, or total truth. There is no in between. I believe it's total truth. God's word is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. God's word goes out to us all and does not return void...

Isaiah 55:10-13 -- “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

If you're living in a situation that seems unreasonable, painful, angering, frustrating, ridiculously hopeless... you're not alone. I know your pain. More importantly, God knows your pain. God knew Paul's pain and He instructed him that His grace was more than enough to deal with anything the enemy could torment him with... seems crazy. But that's the love and power of God - crazy.

You can't hold on to God's promises unless you know what they are. So read His word daily. Allow His peace and grace to sustain you from this point all the way to the finish line. You just might find that your experience is for the benefit of others to come to know Christ. And that's what we're ultimately here for - to spread the Good News and teach others to do the same regardless of any thorn we may endure.