welcome home.

 By Pastor Johnie Akers

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 that there was given to him “a thorn in the flesh.” Though much speculation has surrounded the exact nature of Paul’s thorn, the greater lesson is not found in identifying the thorn, but in understanding the grace that accompanied it. Paul pleaded with the Lord three times that the thorn might depart from him. Yet instead of removal, God gave him a promise: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Most of us would prefer deliverance over dependence. We want God to remove the burden, fix the problem, heal the hurt, or silence the pain. Yet there are seasons when the Lord allows the thorn to remain because the thorn accomplishes something comfort never could. The thorn keeps us humble. The thorn reminds us of our weakness. The thorn teaches us to lean upon Christ instead of ourselves.

Paul had experienced extraordinary revelations from God, but with those revelations came the danger of pride. Therefore, the thorn became a tool in the hand of God to keep Paul near the throne of grace. What Paul first viewed as a hindrance eventually became a blessing, because it drove him into deeper fellowship with the Lord.

There is a profound difference between enduring hardship alone and enduring hardship with the sustaining grace of God. Human strength eventually fails, but divine grace never runs dry. Grace strengthens weary hearts, steadies trembling faith, and enables believers to continue when they otherwise would have quit. The Lord did not promise Paul exemption from suffering, but He did promise sufficient grace for every moment of it.

Sometimes our greatest spiritual victories are not found in escaped battles, but in endured trials. The Christian life is not marked by the absence of weakness, but by the presence of Christ in weakness. Paul came to the place where he could say, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities…for when I am weak, then am I strong.” He discovered that the power of Christ rested most mightily upon him when he had nothing left to rely upon except the Lord.

If bearing the thorns means the greater power of Christ rests upon me, then I will gladly bear the thorns. Because I had rather have grace and power with thorns, than no grace or power without thorns.