“For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. 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.”
II Corinthians 12:6-10 NKJV
When I was a little girl and taking piano lessons, I didn’t want to practice where my sister or brother could hear me. You see, I didn’t want them to hear me messing up on the songs as I was trying to learn them. I know, that’s perfectionism, right?
Unfortunately, that need to do whatever I was doing in a perfect way, also bled over into my relationship with the Lord. At one point I became aware that I rarely spoke to the Lord concerning my personal struggles or weaknesses. Now, the way I became aware of that dynamic was when the Lord spoke to me and said, “Janet, you need to know you need a savior to have one.”
Yes, those words, so matter-of-factly spoken to me, made me see the foolishness of trying to show the Lord how “perfect” I was!
Now, please understand, this was not in any way my thinking that I was somehow better than those who struggled. Rather, it was me actually trying to “earn” the Lord‘s favor by being a “perfectly” good girl.
Of course, I still want to comport myself in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and reflects Him to others. But, I now know that He actually wants to help me with those things I can’t do or endure by myself.
In fact, we can’t really do ANYTHING by ourselves. Jesus made this point clear when speaking of our need to stay connected to Him.
““I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 NKJV
Indeed, Christ did not come and do what He did for us so that we could live our lives trying to show Him we don’t need Him. As a matter of fact, it is in knowing our need for Him that we are strengthened and enabled by His marvelous gift of grace!
Our Lord, our High Priest, struggled with everything we will ever struggle, so, He knows where we’re coming from. Therefore, we can go to Him in confidence that He will help us with whatever current affliction or resistance is coming against us.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV
Additionally, the wonderful thing about our depending on Him, living a life vitally connected to Him, is that He never runs out of grace for us.
“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
John 1:16-17 NKJV
The apostle Paul understood that anything we are able to do or to endure, is because of the Lord’s grace, His enabling power within us.
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
I Corinthians 15:10 NKJV
In speaking to the church at Philippi concerning their ministering to his needs, Paul made it clear that, although he appreciated what they were doing for him, his peace and contentment did not come from anything but the Lord. Yes, the Lord helped him endure whatever he needed to endure.
“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV
In our opening scripture we see Paul illustrating his vulnerability by openly talking about some thorn in the flesh he had. He tells of how he had fervently sought the Lord to remove this resistance and/or affliction from him. Instead of the Lord removing the thorn, He helped Paul to understand that it is when we know we can’t do something alone, and depend completely on Him, that we are at our strongest.
Dear friend, whatever you must endure, whatever your affliction, whatever resistance comes against you, whatever the thorns you may find yourself up against, remember, the Lord has already overcome everything you will ever face; and, His overcoming power is an ever-present help in the time of your need.
Don’t allow your personal pain, suffering, hurt, loss, and so on, cause you to turn away from your only hope. Rather, take everything to the Lord: the good, the bad, and the ugly, depend fully on Him, and stay tapped into His grace.
Yes, whatever you need, whatever you’re going through, His grace is sufficient.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
Genesis 50:19-20 NKJV
You’re probably familiar with “resistance training.” In resistance training, those wanting to increase their muscle mass and strength, engage in different activities wherein a muscle’s normal movement is done with added resistance against that movement.
Now, there are any number of infomercials touting the latest and greatest contraption offering the “perfect” resistance to build muscles. In fact, they make it look so very easy to do. But the reality is, resistance is resistance, and most people don’t enjoy the experience; what they do enjoy is the results.
Yesterday we spoke of the thorns Jesus bore, and how our association with Him will bring thorns of affliction and resistance, simply because we believe in Him.
But, the fact is that ongoing thorns of resistance and affliction in our life, can actually be serving a contemporaneously positive purpose.
The Bible is full of stories of people who were saved from destruction by what was seen at the time as a thorn of resistance or affliction.
For example, we have Balaam, who was determined to curse the children of Israel. He thought his donkey was trying to hurt him. The fact was that the donkey saw something he didn’t, and it was better for him to get his foot crushed, than to end up walking into the sword of the Angel of the Lord.
“And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.””
Numbers 22:32-33 NKJV
Indeed, the psalmist wrote of the benefit of an affliction that produced course-correction for him.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.”
Psalms 119:67 NKJV
And, the writer of Hebrews extols the benefit of chastening in terms of our spiritual development.
“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:5-8, 11 NKJV
As well, what is seen at the time as affliction and resistance, can actually put us where we need to be to do what God has called us to do.
For Isaac it was the Philistines who kept driving him from the wells he was repairing (Genesis 26). Indeed, their constant interference eventually brought Isaac to where he was intended to settle down.
For Jacob it was a series of hardships (fleeing from Esau, deceit from his father-in-law, actions from his own family) that eventually brought him to having a personal relationship with the Lord. Through the struggles, the God of Abraham and Isaac, became the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
In our opening scripture we see probably the most employed example of God using circumstances to put a person where they were supposed to be. Indeed, in the story of Joseph, his brothers meant to do him harm, but their actions actually put him where he needed to be to save all the children of Israel.
Again, nobody enjoys resistance and affliction. Face it, we all want to smell the rose without engaging the thorns. But, we need to be grateful that as children of God, whether the thorn of affliction or resistance is used to correct a course that was leading to destruction, or is used to get us to where we need to be to fulfill our purpose, we can be sure the thorns are working for our benefit.
Yes, we must even be grateful for what the Lord allows to come our way.
“pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
I Thessalonians 5:17-18 NKJV
The fact is, we may not have the benefit of seeing all things being worked together for our good, but we can be sure that the Lord is doing just that.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Romans 8:28-32 NKJV
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.”
Matthew 27:27-31 NKJV
Job—even feeling he was not “deserving” of his awful plight—was willing to suffer the things being allowed by God. His response to his wife’s advice to “curse God and die,” is enigmatic to our human understanding.
“Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”
Job 2:9-10 NKJV
Indeed, Job wasn’t suffering because of his wrongdoing, but because the Lord found him to be an exemplar of righteousness.
“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?””
Job 1:8 NKJV
Yet, Job was faithful to God—even through his own suffering.
Then, we look at a statement made by Paul concerning his suffering, that also challenges conventional thinking.
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Philippians 3:7-11 NKJV
Indeed, Paul is anxious to share the “fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings”!
In fact, Paul was living out what the Lord had said about Paul to Ananias.
“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.””
Acts 9:15-16 NKJV
Paul knew that his suffering had great purpose.
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
II Corinthians 4:8-11 NKJV
You see, Paul knew that Jesus’ suffering brought our redemption. He also knew that in order to truly partake of the new life Christ afforded, we must be willing to partake of His suffering.
Over the next few days, we will continue to look at the purpose of the “thorns” in our lives. It’s only appropriate, that we should have begun today by considering the fact that the Lord’s crown—as He poured Himself out for our sake—was made of thorns. Indeed, He gladly bore them, considering the work His suffering would produce.
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV
Child of God, how can we shrink back from the suffering that comes because of our love for Him? No! We cannot shrink back!
Let us be encouraged knowing that just as Christ was not alone in His suffering, the Father being with Him, we do not suffer alone, Christ is with us!
Remember, Christ has already overcome the world. And if we stay faithful to Him, even through our suffering, we will share in His victory!
“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””
John 16:32-33 NKJV
We will consider more concerning our personal “thorns” tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!