2 Corinthians 12
Paul's thorn in the flesh. I have
heard many ideas about what this was. Some feel that it was a physical
disorder that he experienced; possibly something to do with his eyes.
There are hints in other books that he may have had some illness in his eyes
which was uncomfortable and hard to look at. Others feel that Paul is
talking about a temptation that he fell into and struggled against. The
text is not clear on this point, so we can only guess. However, what is
clear is that the thorn was used by God as a tool to keep Paul dependent upon
Him.
Paul speaks of surpassing greatness and
revelation. It is very possible that the man caught up to the third
heaven was Paul himself, but he does not want his reputation to be built on
such things. Even as he dealt with the super-apostles and defended
himself he wanted the focus to be one the Word of God and on Jesus. When
we play the comparison game we tend to become a little too big for our
britches. Paul had some things that were worth bragging about in his
life, but God wanted him (and us) to focus on what HE has done for us, and what
we feel we may have done.
In Romans 8 it says that for those
who love God all things work together for good. This thorn in the flesh was
a painful experience that God used for Paul’s good. We constantly want to
be strong, self-sufficient, powerful, and glorious. That is God's place,
though, and not ours. The painful experiences of life remind us that we
are mortal, our lives are fleeting, and that we fail. But in God's great
love for us He takes that weakness and does something good with it - something
eternal, and in that same love He has provided eternal life through forgiveness
in Jesus' blood for us.
Someday we will be at peace with who we
are. Someday: when Jesus returns and we receive our resurrected
bodies. Until then we walk by faith, trusting God's promises. One
of those promises is, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness." We would do well to ponder that promise,
and how much God must love us to make it!
God, bless us
with Your peace today. Help us to see ourselves as you see us:
forgiven, loved, and useful for your service. Do something good through
us today. Amen.
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