Through The Thorn Bushes

7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12: 7 - 10 NKJV

I was reminded this week of not only how impatient I am with myself, but with my Lords timing as well.  As I am so fond of saying to my physician friend...I'm definately not a patient patient.  However, if I have learned one thing through my latest bout with infirmity it is that God can, and often does, take us through our own thorn bushes.  As the apostle Paul lamented the "thorn in his flesh" that tormented him, he also came to realize that through his torment was a light at the end of the tunnel.  So, three times Paul asked the Lord to relieve him of his torment, three times.  So, what was the Lords response to his faithful minister?  "My grace is sufficient for you" {2 Corinthians 12:9}.  Trust me, I've spent more than a few moments this week asking God if He could relieve me of my distress.  If He could?  Yeah, that was my question.  God, I know you're there and I know you're real, so can You heal me?  Like I said, I'm not a patient patient.  I shudder to think if I had been one of those patriarchs of old whom the Lord trusted to lead His people through the wilderness.  Ok, Lord, you want me to wait for your word?  How long are we talking here?  Yeah, it seems that our loving heavenly Father seldom works things out that way.  Sometimes He even works things out in ways we did not expect.  That's God doing what He does best.  All too often we forget that our Lord does not work at microwave speed {2 Peter 3:8}.  Of course, that doesn't mean that He's too busy for us, just that He has our own best interests in mind as He works in our lives {Jeremiah 29:11}.  Was God somehow disapointed in Paul?  Hardly, He just reminded Paul of all that was important.  His grace is sufficient.  For without His grace, we would still be lost in our sins.  Instead, we are assured that His Spirit lives through us {Galations 2:20}.  Even through our thorn bushes, our Lords grace endures.

8We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
2 Corinthans 4: 8 - 11 NKJV

I was also reminded this week by a dear friend of what is likely the ultimate outcome of those who come through our thorn bushes.  What is the desire of Christ Jesus who is in us as we labor through our own weakness?  That the Father receieve all the glory of the outcome!  As Paul proclaimed, "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake" {2 Corinthians 12:10}.  Take pleasure in our infirmities?  Remember that end game folks, that God be glorified.  We may place all of our focus on our own situation as we're going through our own thorn bushes, that takes our focus off of where it really belongs.  Where do you think Pauls attention was as he dealt with that thorn in his flesh?  Obviously he thought of it often if he asked the Lord three times to remove it from him.  I get it.  I spent alot of time this week with my attention focused on my own situation.  Then again, as He shares our experiences with us each day, I'm sure that He understands how we tick by now.  God knows me, He should, He lives through me.  Would it be Gods desire to heal His own flesh?  I'd think so.  Then agian, there are many followers of Christ who fall victim to incurable disease.  His grace is sufficient.  As Paul proclaimed, "For me, to live is Christ, to die is gain" {Philippians 1:21}.  Think about that, if we have accepted Christ Jesus, what is our future?  I'll remind you if you've forgotten, ours is a future within our Lords presence for eternity.  Christ has given us the ultimate victory over death {Romans 6:9}.  Tell me again that His grace is not sufficient for us.  For it is by His grace that He saves us from ourselves.  It is by His grace that He lives through us.  To God be the glory.

24And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Luke 18: 24 - 27 NKJV

~Scott~