The Thorns of Affliction

Thorns are surrounded by beauty.

Thorn in the Flesh - The Constant Burden

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

II Corinthians 12:7-10

Often, we think the Christian life should be one of blessing and ease. And why wouldn’t we? Once we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we become children of God and have access to our Heavenly Father, God Almighty, who can do everything.

But we must learn from the scriptures that our Father seeks to see us mature and transformed from our current state into the beautiful and obedient character of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Philippians 1:6

For many Christians, we can accomplish much through our might in terms of conforming our lives and acting like we believe a Christian should behave.

Yet, our true nature can be revealed to us through the work of the thorns. Once we see what exists deep within our hearts, we discover the sobering truth: We are too weak to purge our hearts entirely of sin, and the reality is this: We are far more horrid within than we ever imagined!

This week's passage teaches us that the Apostle Paul was afflicted. He asked the Lord to change his situation three times, and the Lord denied his request. But in denial, the Lord graciously informs Paul that the thorn he must endure is for a purpose: Paul’s spiritual growth and sanctification.

The thorns are those things that will not allow us to rest in our flesh or, better stated, will not allow us to cease from our obvious need of God in a particular matter or case.

God desired that Paul recognize the sufficiency of His grace and that by living with this affliction, Paul would mature in the spirit as his confidence in the flesh diminished through the affliction.

There are varying illustrations of the thorns and when they present themselves.

In Paul’s life, we see that a believer begins pursuing the Lord, desiring to know Him and to serve Him, and God saw that Paul needed something to hinder him in his strength so he could go forth in God’s strength.

Whose strength are we operating in today?

An observation I have had of faithful believers for my journey and those whose lives I have studied is this;

There comes a point, and I believe that a believer, unbeknownst to what they are asking for, but in their zeal for God, ultimately asks for the thorn(s).

Now, they don’t outright say, “Lord afflict me!”

But maybe something like this: “Lord, I want to know you and be used by you. Please, Lord, do what you must do so that I can live my life for you.”

This type of heartfelt prayer is often interpreted by God as, “Lord, grant me a thorn, a measure of affliction that will purge me of my faithless nature and reveal to me the traveler hidden within who must be crucified for me to be like Jesus!”

When facing affliction:

1.) Give it immediately to the Lord:

We must not delay going to God. This affliction may not be a thorn but an attack of the devil or possibly a season of chastisement for some undesirable actions.

If it is a thorn, a case of humbling affliction so that God can show forth His strength, it will remain, but an excellent measure of grace and help will be given to aid us in bearing the thorn.

2.) Examine what the affliction brings out in you:

• Note: We are often strong initially, and the affliction must take root in our lives to test us and reveal our true nature.

• The things exposed by the affliction both grieve the Spirit and hinder our spiritual development.

I am personally bearing a particular thorn in my life at the time of this writing; in fact, it inspired this post.

One of the most humbling and sorrowful truths I have learned is how wretchedly wicked things abide in my heart.

Being pressed sorely, the truth of my nature began to pour out under the immense pressure. My imagination was boundless in supporting and feeding these negative feelings and sinful desires.

The Lord showed me in my affliction, through my thorn, that just as Job stated, “I am vile.”

The beauty? I have found a deeper appreciation for my Lord, a richer vein of grace from which I can dig and disperse to others. I know what dwells within that grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit. I know where I am weak and need that mighty power of God.

3.) Recognize the Lord is good, and the affliction has a purpose:

I am so thankful for the statement the Lord made to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

The Lord doesn’t have a malicious nature.

The Lord would never afflict or allow affliction without the purpose leading to our betterment.

The Lord’s gaze is upon our Judgement Day, and He desires that it be a beautiful day of love for us. He understands better what that day will mean for all of eternity. So He grants the thorns; God allows them to remain so we can be made more into the image of Jesus for a loving day before His throne!

Today, you may be afflicted, and that affliction may dwell with you. Don’t give up, but let the grace and strength of God begin to flow in your life by acknowledging Him and embracing Him as you bear the thorn.