Thorn

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

TO CHEW ON: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9


Do you or someone you know have any of the following:

- crooked teeth    
- epilepsy          
- poor hearing
- diabetes
- poor eyesight

These are what Paul might have called a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). You know that a thorn poking into you won’t kill you. But it hurts just the same. When there's a thorn in your shoe and you're trying to walk it's annoying, always there, and not easy to ignore.


What’s your thorn? Perhaps it’s something you were born with like an oddly shaped nose or ears that stick out. Maybe it has come as a result of treatments for a disease like cancer. Maybe for as long as you can remember, you’ve had diabetes or epilepsy. You can live with your problem, but it interferes with what you’d like to do and makes you feel like an oddball.

What do you do about thorns? You may be tempted to feel sorry for yourself, whine and complain. Or you may avoid others and hide your problem so you won’t get teased and made fun of.

Paul did two things about his thorn. First he 1.______________________ (2 Corinthians 12:8). He knew that God had the power to take his thorn away.

"For this thing I besought the Lord," by Charles J. Staniland

When God answered ‘no,’ Paul determined to 2._______________________ (2 Corinthians 12:9,10) . He did this because he knew when he succeeded in spite of his problem, God would get the credit.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I bring my thorn to You. I pray You will take it away, or show Your power through me if Your answer is ‘no’. Amen.


MORE: Living With Thorns
1. If you or someone you know has a serious illness or condition (like cancer or epilepsy or diabetes), find out all you can about it.

2. If it’s your friend who is in this situation, put yourself in their place. What are some things you could do for them to make their thorn easier to live with.

ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.