Thorns

It's hard to have a weakness for something, isn't it? Something that plagues you, something that you have a hard time overcoming yourself. We all have things in life that distract us from our walk with God, or at least try to. I'm not talking about the things that we have chosen to do, like hobbies and interests. God wants us to enjoy ourselves, and take pleasure in things, and as long as they don't take precedence over Him, they are OK.

I'm talking about the things that we genuinely struggle to get past, the things that can compromise our walk, the things that cause nagging doubts about our faith. The things that make us question God and His love for us.

"Even though I have received wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.'" 2 Corinthians 12:7-9a

I mean, that is sooo not that answer that we would want, right? I mean, you struggle, you fight, you ignore it. Try not to give into the flesh and to honor God. And then He says "My gracious favor is all you need"? I mean, that's pretty frustrating. You need His Help, you cry out to Him, and it kinda feels like He's blowing you off. Even Paul didn't like the answer he was given - he went back two more times. "Three different times I BEGGED the Lord to take it away..." and the answer didn't change. Stop looking for a different answer, and accept what He has given you.

Know that the Blood of Jesus has us covered. Know that His Grace is sufficient for us. Know that He wasn't the one to walk away from us - it's always us that are the ones to walk away.

It's not about us being the perfect person that has it all together. It's not about us never failing. It's about us trusting Him, even when we are failures, in spite of the fact that we are failures. It's about knowing that His perfect love is there despite everything else.

Stop looking for different answers when he has already given you what you need to stand tall against the evil in the world. He knows your weakness, and has you covered. He not only has your back, he goes before you and makes your path ready. Don't let the thorns along the way slow you down.

Sam