Grace for the Thorn
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness… For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (NKJV).
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about a “thorn in his flesh.” This thorn Paul refers to is not something physically sticking him in his body, it’s something in his life that just won’t let up. Before Paul ever talked about his thorn, he talked about the weight he carried, the calling, the responsibility, the revelations, and the assignment on his life. And yet, with all of that power and authority, he still had something he couldn’t shake.
Paul wanted some relief, he was ready to be free and for that struggle to come to an end. He asked God three times to remove the thorn, and each time God refused and responded the same way: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” It wasn’t that God was punishing Paul or that Paul lacked faith, but the thorn had an agenda. The enemy intended to use it to taunt him, torment him, and tempt him. The enemy wanted that thorn to frustrate him, distract him, make him question his calling, and ultimately cause him to fall. But what the enemy meant for evil, God used for Paul’s good. God took the very thing designed to break him and used it to build him, strengthen him, and keep his heart grounded in humility and total dependence on God.
Like Paul, you may be dealing with your own thorn, something you’ve prayed about, cried about, and begged God to change, yet it still remains. And often, this thorn is the very thing God is going to use to remind you that you’re human, that you can’t do life without Him, and that your strength will never be enough on its own, no matter how powerful, anointed, gifted, accomplished, or put together you think you may be.
As we walk through this series, you will see that every thorn we talk about carries a story, a struggle, and a purpose. My prayer is that you will begin to see your own thorn and see it differently. I pray that as you see it, you choose to surrender it fully to God, understanding that His grace is enough and His strength is made perfect in the things that are out of your control.
Stayed tuned for: The Thorn of the Family.
