The Blessing of The Thorns



Paul had a thorn in his flesh. It was from Satan, the enemy of our souls, sent to torment him. But the Bible makes it clear that what Satan intended for bad, God used for Paul's good. Three times, the Bible tells us, Paul prayed for this thorn to be removed from him.

Isn't that just like us? Any little problem that comes our way, we immediately want God to take it away. We are not willing to suffer, even if we know it is ultimately for our own good, and for God's glory. We just want the thorn - whatever it may be - gone, as soon as possible!

God left the thorn in Paul's flesh to teach him two very important lessons: God's grace is sufficient for all our needs, in every circumstance. And His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

The thorns hurt, but they serve a useful purpose. Paul learned not only to tolerate his thorn, but to rejoice in it! He knew that when he was at his weakest, unable to depend on his own power and might, that's when the power and might of the Lord are revealed. And just look at what Paul accomplished, in spite of the thorn in his flesh, through the power of the Almighty God in him. We would not have a third of the New Testament without Paul!

We can rejoice in this truth, just as Paul did. We can rejoice in the fact that God's strength is made perfect in our human wekness, in the thorns that plague us, in our own lack.

And what about Christ's thorns? He never had an earthly crown, except for this crown of thorns.

And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe. (John 19:2)

Jesus also prayed three times that this cup of suffering would be removed from Him. But, being perfectly attuned to God's plans, and trusting the Father completely, Jesus ended each prayer with "Nevertheless, Father, not my will, but Thy will be done."

Did Jesus glory in His affliction, knowing that God's strength is made perfect in our human weakness? I think He did. He knew there was no other way for mankind to be saved. He knew God had a perfect plan, and that by fulfilling His part of the plan, man would be saved, He would be exalted, and God the Father would be glorified.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Whatever your situation this holiday season, whatever you may be going through or dealing with, whatever thorn may be tormenting you, give thanks to God! Learn, as Paul did, that's God's grace is sufficient, and that His power is revealed in our weakness. Trust God, as Jesus did, that God has a reason for allowing it, that it will all somehow work out for good, and God will be glorified through it.

The story below illustrates how we should learn to thank God, even in the midst of our most difficult times. I didn't write it, and cannot find out who the author is. I received it in an email, but it is a perfect illustration that the we need to be thankful for the thorns in our lives, just as Paul was.

 

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The Blessing Of Thorns

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose annual holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come.

What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder.

"Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered aloud. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The shop clerk's approach startled her. "I... I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra. "For Thanksgiving?"

"Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving Special?" asked the shop clerk. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. " Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Then the door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi Barbara...let me get your order." She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped...there were no flowers. "Want this in a box?" asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers!?! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said as she gently tapped her chest.

"Uhh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uhh... she just left with no flowers!"

"Right... I cut off the flowers. That's the Special... I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that?" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband, "continued the clerk," and for the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel.""So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for good things in life and never thought to ask Him why those good things happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." Just then someone else walked in the shop.

"Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement... twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?"

"No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks to Him for what that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too... fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?" asked Sandra.

"Nothing." said the clerk. "Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you'd like to read it first."

It read:

"Dear God, I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to you along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise God for your roses; learn to thank Him for your thorns!

-- Author Unknown












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