Strength In Weakness

This a a fantastic, short (only 4 paragraphs!) explanation of Why did God say to Paul,"my strength is made perfect in weakness"?

https://www.raptureready.com/faq/faq365.html

What Was Paul's Thorn?

A wonderfully concise, yet informational, explanation of Paul's thorn can be found on the Blue Letter Bible website. Excellent study synopsis!

https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/thorn.cfm

Conceited

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations a thorn was given to me in the flesh,a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited."/2 Corr. 12:7 (ESV)

Guest post:

Aah humility, what a desirable yet precarious characteristic to attain. Paul, a man of great wisdom and knowledge, as well as zealous follower of Christ, knew this particular trait was one God was developing in him for a specific purpose.

It must have been so frustrating, as he desired to spend every waking moment serving the Lord, winning souls for his Savior, yet as he said this ever present " thorn" was present. He pleads for it to be removed not once, not twice, but 3 times. What's the reply? "My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in your weakness" 

(vs.9). So what can we too hope to learn from Paul's wisdom? Perhaps one thing is that humility is a tool God uses to draw us and others closer to Him. The thorn can come in many forms, I think, in the work place, in our physical health, mental health, our spiritual walk. So many avenues that Satan can place his prickly point. But the thing is God is still in control, He still is sovereign; NOTHING can touch our life with out His knowledge. We may ask, plead, or cry out for God to remove "it", to heal, to quiet the storm in our life, but ultimately it is His will that will be done.

So how can we choose to look at this as a blessing? To still hold onto the joy, the hope our Lord promises? 

I think perhaps by taking on that spirit of humility as Paul chose to do,; to allow God to be glorified, by others witnessing His power, His love, His life within us despite our thorn, our weaknesses. 
Yes humility is a blessing and a curse, the pain or strife is not wanted by us on a human level, however the promise and hope delivered by our Heavenly Father with in that is. 
Friends let us not look with disdain on our thorns, but embrace them for what they are, God's hope, shown proven as evidenced within our lives. 

Be blessed, Di

----------------

Diane Kalata is a wife of 26 yrs., mother of 3 , and grandma too! She is a cancer survivor. She deals with chronic illness on a daily basis, but has the joy of ministering through writing, art, and home studies. She loves our Lord dearly and desires to be a reflection of Him in her daily life, as they walk the journey of illness together. www.facebook.com/groups/Zebras4Christ/

Power of the Anointed

"I begged the Lord three times to liberate me from its anguish; and finally He said to me, “My grace is enough to cover and sustain you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” So ask me about my thorn, inquire about my weaknesses, and I will gladly go on and on—I would rather stake my claim in these and have the power of the Anointed One at home within me. I am at peace and even take pleasure in any weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and afflictions for the sake of the Anointed because when I am at my weakest, He makes me strong."
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (Voice)

Headless Snake

"Unlike mammals, reptile reflexes remain deadly after death. In fact, they can still bite and deliver a killing dose of venom up to an hour after being decapitated. Watch as this snake’s head – severed from its body – continued to scan the area, waiting for an opportunity to strike." Source: http://neverchill.com/22834/zombie-snake-attack

It's a long one, but so worth the read. I finally got through it, when my eyes cleared enough because the tears pooling in them finally gave way and spilled down my cheeks. Where Is God When Bad Things Happen (from Ann's Holy Experience)

The quotes that jumped out at me, most profoundly, were:
A snake’s neurology and blood flow make it such that it slithers wild even after it’s been sliced headless...
Never doubt it, wondering world: Even if the tail still rampages, the snake’s head is crushed.

This illustration help me understand how Christ could crush satan's head and yet we are still feeling the poison sting of evil today. In the throws of death, satan tries to reek as much havoc as he can. For further perspective, read Satan's A Goner. Hmm, think God knew what he was doing when He designed a literal serpent's physiology, when He equated satan with the snake? Praise God that we have assurance that He wins in the end!

My Next Book

I'm often asked when I'm going to write my next book. In reality I've been in the process of writing a book on the life of Paul as encouragement for living with chronic pain and illness (the reason for this blog) for probably close to 5 years now. Since Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage & Adoption Loss took me about 10 years to write, that may not be such exciting news because it tells you I still have a very long way to go!

What I hope is more exciting, what I would like to ask you to partner with me in prayer about as God continues to unfold His plan, is that two of my other blogs, one on beauty and (now that I've gained more focus for what I want to do with this project) specifically Harvesting Hope from Heartache™, have becoming a launching pads for what I feel God is turning into my "next" book.

Yes, I'm continuing to work on the Given Me a Thorn too, but over the past year God has me focusing more on an exploration of the Fruit of the Spirit (a passage written by none other than Paul himself) through a series of articles I've been writing for Glory and Strength and my InnerBeautyGirlz blog. I've been working on a Bible study related to what He's teaching me and I've written much more than could be presented only in my articles, so I think God's growing a book out of all of this! :)

How does the Fruit of the Spirit tie in with Harvesting Hope from Heartache? I'm glad you asked. ;) It all has to do with sowing seeds, gathering fruit, and ultimately what Source my hope springs from. What better time to look to the Lord for help than in the midst of trials? I'm very excited to see how God is tying so many themes together in my life as He's teaching me through Galatians 5 this year! I pray that this book will be as much of a blessing to you as the journey has been to me.

It is my current goal to have enough of this study written and ready to present to publishers that I can begin the query process around the end of the year or in the very early part of 2012. Will you join me in specific prayer that God will give me His words to write and that this project will unfold according to His will and in His perfect timing?

If you would like to stay updated about my progress, I've just opened a new Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HarvestingHope and would love to have you "like" me over there. :) If you don't do Facebook or would rather get updates via feeds, please follow my long-standing Harvesting Hope from Heartache blog directly. Feel free to pass these link along to your friends as well.

Focus

I almost tossed this picture. The rose is all out of focus! In fact, the only thing my eye can clearly make out is the background, and look at all those nasty thorns!

Oh wait. Isn't this a perfect picture of my life sometimes? So often I miss out on the amazing beauty and blessings right before me because I'm focusing on the annoying, the irritating, the ugly, the painful.

Lord, please help me to remember that even when you give thorns, they are always accompanied by gifts of grace. Sometimes I may have to work harder to adjust my focus than other times, but when I look for your blessings, they are always there.

I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
- 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 (The Message)

----------------


Thank you to my sweet friend Abby of Mavora Art and Design who took this idea and made it into my beautiful new header! Feel free to visit her website or follow her on Facebook.

Secret of Contentment

A guest post by Rachel:

The Secret of Contentment

I have read Philippians 4 many times in my life. I've always read it and wondered about the apostle Paul's secret to contentment. This week I read this chapter again and saw things in a way I never have before.

Paul's secret is actually quite provocative – the secret of living with contentment in every situation. Few of us ever scratch the surface of what contentment truly means, no matter how great our effort and intention.

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

~ Philippians 4:10-13

I will confess – I don’t know how Paul could live in contentment with all he had been through! I read his words and think, that can’t be right, he was in prison! And surely I don’t need to learn to be content in this [insert your trial here] situation? Paul can’t possibly mean that. Oh, but he does.

Did you notice the verse at the end of the passage? On the heels of saying that he is content in any and every situation, Paul says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” I think this verse is often used too flippantly. Paul isn’t talking about achieving anything he sets his mind to. He is referring to surviving the worst of the worst with as much grace as living with plenty. Whoa.

My question for Paul has always been, “Well then, what is the secret to achieving contentment?” What I found this week is that he addresses this very question earlier in chapter four.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

~ Philippians 4:4-9

Let me break that down for my own sake (because I’m a list person):
• Be full of joy
• Be considerate in all you do
• Don’t worry; pray
• Be thankful
• Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise
• Put into practice the things you have learned

If we do these things, Paul says, “The God of peace will be with you.” All these things lead to peace, and peace leads to contentment. This is revolutionary stuff! With achievable, albeit difficult, action steps. Paul's secret steps to God's peace and contentment.

Well, I need to be more like Paul. What about you?

Like what your read here? Rachel's written more on this subject! Check out Contentment: On Failure and Hope to read "part two." :)

------
About our Guest Author:

Rachel and her husband live in Maryland, home of the world's finest crab cakes. Her heart for women facing the struggle of infertility has led to an active, encouraging role on Hannah's Prayer Community Forums and as a team member of HELD. When she isn't laughing with her husband, Rachel can be found cooking, blogging, and hanging with girlfriends.

When God Says No

Why would God say "no" to a good request? To a request like Paul's for the removal of his thorn? For our requests for healing?

This week Lysa TerKeurst said, "When God says no, we are sometimes tempted to wonder if He loves us. In reality, it’s because He loves us, He sometimes says no."

To illustrate this she gave a beautiful word picture of how a cake may look done 2/3 of the way through allotted baking time, but if it's pulled from the oven too soon, it collapses. She writes, "The cake couldn’t withstand the pressure of an undone center… and neither can we.
"If we obsess over the cake and make it our whole focus, character atrophies. If we make growing in godliness our obsession and keep our focus on God, our character matures. And a mature character makes for a solid and well done center."

The rest of Lysa's post can be found here: Escaping the Rut of Want

I've said over and over that I believe pain is a gift, though certainly an odd one. The thing that makes it a gift is the way it drives us to dependence on God. If I'm fixated only on my illness, or my desire to be well, I miss out on God's best for me right here, right now, right in the heart of living these trials.

Chronic Grace

A guest post by David J. Hall.

The Chronic Grace of God

I have found the Scriptures to be absolutely true when the Lord told the Apostle Paul (who was being tormented by a "thorn in the flesh") that God's grace would be sufficient for his journey of suffering and pain.

While I suffer with chronic pain (and sometimes outright agony), I am at the same time blessed by God's chronic grace (if I may phrase it that way) which is more real to me than even the pain. In a sense, the pain is almost surreal, but God's grace is so real, and is provided through His tangible Presence!

His grace does not take my pain away. His grace does however equip me physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually to endure the pain, and to do so with a heart that is filled with joy and is established in peace... His peace!

If you suffer with a chronic pain condition of some kind, first pray for healing, and then pray for the "chronic" grace of God to sustain you until His healing arrives in your life.

See you at the altar, my friend, where we together will approach our gracious Heavenly Father Who will provide all that we need!!

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
- Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

------
About our Guest Author:

David J. Hall battles Fibromyalgia with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, diagnosed in 2000 after many tests ruled out other things. "I have been a pastor my whole adult life, and could no longer work as of Sept. 2006 due to my illness.
"My mom and dad say that my pulpit is now my bed, from which I write notes on Facebook (please request a friendship if you would like) and articles on my blog."

My Valentines Day Gift... of Pain?

This beautiful story was first published on the website of Rest Ministries: Chronic Illness Ministry and is reprinted here with permission of the author, Dana Kennedy. I love the way it captures the concept of the "gift" of pain! (c) Copyright, Dana Kennedy, 2011

In a holy whisper, compassionate eyes searching my soul, He hands me a gift.

“I love you, my child. As the cross is a symbol of my love, so is this gift. It’s not what you desire, but it will bring you more than you ever asked or imagined. Remember, all my gifts are good.”

Tears course off His face as He leans down to kiss my forehead.

As I carefully open the gift avoiding the thorns twisted into a bow, the blood red paper drops to the ground. I lift off the lid and peer into the tiny box. Before my mind can comprehend that it is empty, I am brought to my knees. Pain, fatigue, and weakness crash through my body pulling me under. Instantaneously, I am stricken with illness.

“Oh, God! What have you given me?” I scream in anguish.

“There, there, my child. Be still and know that I am God.”

He gathers me to His heart and carries me to the darkened window. As His breath dispels ice crystals formed in the shape of a dove, He points outside and says, “Look beyond your own comfort, to see what I see.”

In the crisp chill of a winter night, the heavens open and I know fully even as I am fully known.

My life includes gifts many healthy people experience. The chance to wed and to have children. The gift of friends and loved ones, a home and a church. But, the most intriguing gifts are the ones He gives through illness.

I realize I can’t, God can, and I let Him.

In being sick, I am forced to lean on Christ more. I appreciate the beauty of each snowfall, not just the first one, because I have time to treasure His creation. I realize that being physically weaker doesn’t mean I am worthless. Using my heart instead of my hands is my role in the body of believers.

As He caresses my face with a look of love I can’t begin to fathom He says…

“My child, the true gift you hold tonight is me. I want for you to know me and to love me above all else. Because this is truth, your illness isn’t some evil plan of mine designed for your ruin. It’s meant to bring you closer to me, my heart and my will for your life. For without it, you wouldn’t be all I’ve planned for you. Remember, when you begin to doubt my love, that I came as a babe to save all mankind. I am the gift.”

With that thought echoing in my heart, I kiss His check and accept my gift.

Dana Kennedy is a survivor, encourager, wife and mother. She writes a devotional column for Glory and Strength e-magazine. It has taken Dana the better part of 17 years to begin to understand the gifts God has hidden for her in chronic illness, especially Himself. Dana welcomes your contact at dtearosee@earthlink.net

Looking for more great articles like this one? Contact:
Rest Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 502928
San Diego, CA 92150
858-486-4685

Why Affliction?

Diane Bucknell shares some great thoughts on how Our Suffering of Illness is Meant to Go Far Beyond Just Us over at Rest Ministries. In part she writes,

The doctor said I would be better in 18 months. Having a young family to care for, that pronouncement was devastating. Little did I know it would be 10 years before I would feel reasonably well again and by that time the children were grown. I was bedridden most of the time for the first several years and depended on my family to help me with the normal daily activities like shopping and housework. My only outings for the first 2 years were to the doctor for weekly treatments. There were many times that I didn’t know how I could survive one more day of being so sick....

Psalm 27:13-14 was my lifeline of hope which I clung to daily:

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see
the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.”
When God does one thing, He’s doing many things at the same time.

* Affliction drives us to dependence: “My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon You every day, O LORD” Psalm 88: 9.
* Affliction drives us to obedience: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.” Psalm 119:67.
* Affliction purifies us: “For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.” Psalm 66:10
* Affliction is humbling: ” for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me–to keep me from exalting myself!” 2 Corinthians 12:7

Above quotes, © 2009-2010 Rest Ministries Chronic Illness Pain Support, All Rights Reserved. Read More at Rest Ministries - Chronic Illness and Pain Support.

Diane Bucknell came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at the age of 20. She resides in Carson City, Nevada with her husband Robert. They been married for 36 years and have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. They own Bucknell Arts, a fine art and mural painting business.

Be Still

"What God said to Jesus and to Paul, and what he says to us is, 'My power always comes to perfection through weakness. My power can only explode into your life through your weakness.' Paul says that if Jesus can uncomplainingly submit to his infinite suffering and thereby have God's life explode into our lives and into the world, then you and I can submit to our finite suffering uncomplainingly and know the same thing will happen. That death in us will work life in us and in other around us. That's our hope." (emphasis added)

- from Be Still, My Soul: Embracing God's Purpose and Provision in Suffering, book compiled by Nancy Guthrie, above quote by Tim Keller

Blessing of the Thorn

Great sermon outline on why Paul's Thorn was a Blessing! Addresses questions I will also be tackling in my book such as, "what was Paul's thorn?" Satan's hand in suffering v/s God's sovereign will, how God's "no" answers can be better than the "yes" we are seeking, and much more. Worthwhile read:
http://cnview.com/text_sermons/blessing_of_the_thorn.htm

On a totally unrelated blog, I was also reminder today by Lysa TerKeurst what satan is up to when he tries to trip us up with "thorns":

"Do you know why Satan’s tactics are called schemes in 2 Corinthians 2: 10-11? A scheme is a plan, design, or program of action. Satan’s schemes are well thought through plans specifically targeted to do 3 things:
1. To increase your desire for something outside the will of God.
2. To make you think giving in to a weakness is no big deal.
3. To minimize your ability to think through the consequences of falling to this temptation."

Going back to the original sermon posted above, I love this quote:

Who gave Paul the thorn? "There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan". Satan gave it to Paul. God allowed him to do so for a real beneficial purpose. " exalted above measure".(lest I should be overcome in pride) There is a mystery between sin, sickness, and Satan. Satan rules but God can overrule the messenger of Satan. (a fallen angel, or demon sent by Satan)

Paul's sufferings were to prevent him from being lifted up with pride. Satan's part is clear, he cannot bring evil to the believer except by God's permission. (see the story of Job- Satan had to have God's permission to inflict him)

Satan was permitted to inflict Paul to serve God's purpose. Satan sure is dumb in ways. He will inflict a saint, all the while DOING GOD'S WILL.

God has a definite purpose in mind for our good in allowing sufferings in the believer's life. Our sufferings may not be due to specific sins we have done, but may be ministers to our benefit.

from God not us

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Why Some Trials Never End

I don't personally know this author or really anything about this website, but I stumbled upon a link today and felt many of the points to be basic, direct and valid in relationship to 2 Corinthians 12:
Why Some Trials Never End

What are your thoughts?

I Can't Take It!

I was thrilled to come across the blog of one of our most beloved college professors today, Dewey Bertolini. Can you guess the topic of the most recent post on his blog? To my delight, it was Paul! Specifically Paul's writing to the church of Corinth. Check out his link and be encourage:
Just when I think I can't take it...

Given A Thorn

This article was originally posted to my Hope Harvesters blog in May, 2009. Here is a slightly updated version:

If the following post is just a little too "up" and hard for you to digest right now, check out Just In Case You Wonder... to see that I'm for real and understand about those down days too! {{{hugs}}}

I love gardening, but I usually find myself starting to loose the battle against weeds by early May, and by July my garden is overrun simply because I don't have the energy or stamina to get out there and fight them, especially as temperatures climb and I wilt, just like my unwatered flowers, in the heat.

With high hopes of a different outcome this year, I set out to do my gardening thing this morning while those weeds are still young and tender and the air is cool. Things went along well for the first few minutes, until suddenly I felt this irritating sensation in my hand every time I moved it or tried to grasp something.

The pain wasn't debilitating, just "there" enough to keep me from being able to pull weeds properly or make much headway in my battle. At first I tried to ignore it and keep pushing through, but the more I tried to go on with my work in spite of the pain, the more "stabbing" the sensation grew. What was wrong? Nothing obvious, so I tried different ways of grasping those weeds without using my thumb and discovered that an opposible digit really is necessary for weeding!

On very close inspection I discovered the tiniest of thorns, just barely visible, poking out of the pad of my thumb. It looked so small that it seemed I should be able to simply brush or even blow it away without consequence.  But the more I tried to get rid of it, the deeper I drove it into my own flesh and the more irritated my hand became.

I went for the tweezers but just couldn't get a good grasp on it. By very nature of it's minuet size, that thorn became more problematic to remove than a big splinter would have been. That speck on my thumb ultimately put a halt to my gardening for the rest of the day.

After favoring this hand all day long I've finally realized that I will probably have to wait for it to fester before I can work that irritating little thorn out of there. How could something so seemingly insignificant cause me to have to change my plans not only in gardening but in several other normal, daily tasks today too? The whole experience has left me reflecting on what it is like to live with the progression of little, daily, ongoing losses in chronic illness.

Yes, of course a thorn so tiny that it can't be grasp with tweezers may seem trite in relation to significant health issues! But might not some of the same general principles apply?

Before I first got sick, I set out with a goal, my college degree ahead of me. That first week when everyone else on campus was sick too, I didn't give my illness much more thought than I did that first irritating little thorn poke this morning. But as my fellow-students began returning to class and my fevers and nausea and memory lapses and debilitating fatigue dragged on for weeks on end, I began to see this was not something I could just keep pushing through and went home to sleep through three weeks of Christmas vacation.

Unlike my gardening today, I actually tried to return to the task at hand as I attempted a second semester at school. Within 36 hours back in the dorm I was as sick as I had ever been prior to those weeks of mom's home-cooked meals and pampering. This began my "grasping at straws" (or should I say, "grasping at thorns"?) stage of the journey, months of desperately seeking medical answers and trying every "sure cure" that was offered to me. Just like trying to remove the thorn caused greater irritation to my thumb, many of the things I tried in hopes of regaining my health actually exacerbated the situation and caused further decline.

A diagnosis finally came in the midst of that grasping stage. Just as finding that tiny thorn in my thumb answered some questions about why I was experiencing the pain I felt, I was relieved to have a name for my illness as well. But that relief was short-lived as I moved from grasping to festering with boiling anger as the realities of such a diagnosis sank in. I was not only fighting my illness but the heart-infection of bitterness as I raged against a broken body, broken dreams, and the loss of my any illusions I had of being in control.

I had to fester for a long time before I could reach the acceptance stage.  Here I realized I was going to need to alter my life significantly around my "thorn" and learn to live with it for as long as it took to work it’s way out (in this case, maybe the rest of my lifetime). I had to develop a new definition of "normal" daily life, accepting that this form of "normal" could vary dramatically from day to day or sometimes even from moment to moment. Just as in gardening the simple task of grasping a weed was unexpected hindered by pain shooting through my thumb, my new normal with chronic illness sometimes includes feeling "fine" as I step out the door to get the mail, only to find myself unprepared for the exhausting effort of trying to walk back up the driveway.

When my husband came home from work tonight he immediately noticed three long scratches across the back of my hand, the result of carelessly brushing up against a rose bush this morning. But he didn't notice that little thorn in my thumb until I took the time and seemingly silly effort to point it out to him. Strangely enough, though they look ugly, those scratches don't hurt much, hardly even bother me at all. It's that unseen thorn that causes me to alter the very way I usually do things. Just as in illness, often the obvious struggles are easier to cope with than the unseen conditions that cause others to wonder why I claim to be sick or can be unreliable to fulfilling my commitments when I look so healthy.

In the book of 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, the apostle Paul writes:

7To 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. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But 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. 10That 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.

- NIV

I don’t know all the reasons why God has allowed my “thorn in the flesh.” Is it to keep me from becoming conceited? I really don't know, but there there is no question that illness has certainly humbled me and helped me to realize that God is God and I am not!
Is it a “messenger of satan” intended to torment me? Only God knows for sure why He allows any kinds of trials in my life, but I am comforted by the book of Job to see that if satan has been allowed to bring any pain into my life, that his influence must be filtered and tempered through Heaven first. He can only touch me as far as God allows and his powers are limited by God's strict parameters. Like Job, I can only see a terribly small sliver of what is actually happening in our world as influenced by the spiritual realms, but I do know that God is the one ultimately in control!

So as for the source of my "thorn" I can say with confidence that I know that God has the power to prevent these trials, but in His great wisdom He has chosen to allow them in my life (be it directly through satan or simply as a natural by-product of this broken, fallen world) for some perfect reason. Because I cannot see the big picture from His perspective, instead I must cling to His promise that His grace is enough and accept that His power can shine most fully through me when I yield my heart to His plans.  Therefore, I will boast gladly in my weakness and thank Him for the power that He gives me for every step He enables me to take, every breath He blesses me to draw. 

James chapter 1 says,

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I don’t know that I can honestly say I “delight” in my weaknesses quite yet, though I am beginning to see that if it was "given" to me, then I can choose to accept it as a "gift" and look for joy even in the midst of struggle and pain. A bit later in that James passage we read,

17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Even though my physical condition is ever changing, I can cling to my unchanging God! I pray that He will refine and mature me through this process so that others will see Christ’s strength in and through me even if they fail to understand about my thorns.

P.S. I added photos to this post from my summer, 2011 garden. You can see both my battles with weeds and thorns and my eventual (though admittedly short-lived) victory illustrated by beautiful blossoms. I pray that I will always bloom right where God plants me, even if it means blooming in the midst of thorns.

Storms

Thorny Gifts

I've been thinking lately about unlikely gifts. Paul was given a thorn. I'm still trying to wrap my mind and heart around just what that means, but this article on Gifts, misunderstood, though written to challenge me to wisely give my heart to sharing with others, does get me thinking about God's choices for me...

If God is the Giver of "every good and perfect gift" (James 1:17) why does He allow thorns? In the above-linked blog, Seth Godin proposes, "The way I understand gifts is that the giver must make a sacrifice, create an uneven exchange, bring himself closer to the recipient, create change and do it all with the right spirit." If measured by sacrifice, there is no doubt that God is the greatest Giver, even when I don't always understand or appreciate the gifts He prepares for me.

I'm still thinking, sifting, sorting, praying. What are your thoughts on the gift of thorns?