Joel M Bradshaw

…a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”–2 Corinthians 12

The situation: Paul was given a supernatural experience where he got to experience a taste of Heaven. He couldn’t describe whether he was there bodily or spiritually, but he was briefly there. Where did he go? It’s a form of the same Greek word that Luke described Jesus as using (Luke 23:43). On the cross, Jesus told the repentant thief he would be with Him in Paradise. Evidently, Paul got to see Paradise as well. The text doesn’t tell us more than that.

The result: Paul was given an amazing experience and was also given a “thorn” in order to not become conceited, or excessively proud. Had he not sunk under the waves, we might have expected one like Peter feeling such a way after having walked on water. The “thorn” was described in spiritual and sovereign terms. Spiritual in terms of a messenger of Satan, sovereign as in it was allowed by God. We get a flavor of God’s sovereignty regarding Satan here like in the book of Job. We don’t know more about the ‘thorn’. It sounds physical because Paul uses the word ‘flesh’, but it doesn’t have to be. Paul’s letters hint strongly that he suffered from anxiety (2 Corinthians 11:28) and you could also read depression at times.

The prayer: We are told that Paul prayed to God three times that this would be taken from him. This tells us that when we go through suffering, it is good to turn to God for answers and perspective. It is appropriate to pray for it to be removed. Suffering isn’t a noble thing that we should long for.

The answer: It is encouraging to us who pray that even Paul got told no. God had a bigger purpose for Paul’s suffering. God’s strength was being shown in Paul’s weakness. My brothers and sisters in Celebrate Recovery hold this verse dear to their hearts. God has a purpose and plan for even our suffering. Our weakness displays God’s strength. Our stories uniquely give God glory.

The take-away: God told Paul that His grace was sufficient. It is by this grace we are saved. We can’t earn it or deserve it. God’s grace is the most precious thing in existence. Since Paul could trust God for salvation, he could trust him also in the midst of his daily struggles. The very God who saves continues to provide. Do you look at God with sufficiency or are you dissatisfied? Paul took God at his word that what he provided was indeed sufficient. God was enough and his answer was enough. I have learned this perspective through having MS for half of my life. All prayers for healing have been rejected. God’s grace is sufficient also for me. I don’t know what you are enduring, but sometimes God answers no because you are his display case and he gets to show off his strength in you. He gets glory teaching you endurance and dependance. We get purpose for our pains.–JMB