Thorns

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:7-10 (NKJV)

A couple of years ago I had a bump on my left hand ring finger on the joint closest to the tip of my finger. It grew to the size where it was getting in the way and could no longer be ignored. I scheduled the surgery--where they strapped my hand down--put in a block so that I did not feel anything--and for an hour they cut on my finger removing the growth and sowing me up again. "It"--the bump was not what they expected. It wasn't a tumor--benign or malignant. It wasn't a cyst. It wasn't a rupture in the ligament sheathing, or any of the things that the surgeon had suspected. It was fatty tissue growing around the remains of a thorn.

One thing about living in Central Texas...the Kentucky Bluegrass of Idaho is a pleasure of the past. Here we have a lot of thorns and grass burrs. My bump started as a grass burr that I picked up while working in the yard. I pulled out what I could, but just under the surface of my skin I felt the irritation of the remains. Life is full of thorns and burrs that can pierce us and leave their remains embedded in our lives. Oh, we clean up what we can--we repent--we reconcile--we make restitution--we resolve to change...but, sometimes there is a residual that remains.

Paul prayed concerning the thorn that tormented him. He pled with God to remove the thorn from his life. God left the thorn embedded in Paul's life and said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Probably not the answer that Paul desired! What are the implications of such an answer? Perhaps that our thorns (illnesses, addictions, personality disorders, family problems, poor decisions, adversarial relationship, self-deceptions, sin issues, economic challenges, general weaknesses of the flesh, the Enemy) make us more dependent on the One power that can set us free. Does God want me independent, self-made, self-reliant and seemingly strong, or feeling the need to be attached to the Vine. You see, I am never stronger than when I am abiding in the Vine. "In our weaknesses He is made strong!"

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, I still hear the words of Jesus, "Apart from Me you can do nothing!" Such is the true condition of my existence. I need you--I am living proof that I need you. If I have anything that I can boast in--it is only by Your grace and the hand of Your provision. Thank you for Your power, strength and guidance that leads me beside still waters and green pastures. Thank you for showing me who I really am and the possibility of what I can be in and through You. Amen"