Monday, September 03,
2012, 4:30 a.m. – the Lord woke me with the song “In Harmony” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is
listening. I read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
(NIV 1984):
To keep me from
becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was
given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times
I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.
The Thorn
Paul was an apostle (sent out one) of Jesus Christ, called
of God and appointed to the ministry of the gospel, yet he also had God-given
authority over the church, as he spoke the very words of God, which is now
included in our Bible, God’s God-breathed (living) word to us. He heard God
speak, and he spoke and wrote God’s exact words to the people. What an awesome
responsibility that must have been for him. Yet, he was human. God put this
ministry into a clay vessel. So, to keep him from becoming conceited because of
all these great revelations God was giving him, he was given a thorn in his
flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment him.
Now, there has been much discussion among theologians,
clergy and laity alike as to what this thorn in the flesh entailed. First of
all, we must understand that it was God who gave this to him, for only God
would have the concern that Paul not become conceited, and only God had the
power to give it or to take it away. Whatever it was, it was annoying and
troublesome to Paul so much that he pleaded with God three times to take it
away. Some people have suggested it was a physical ailment of some type, such
as blindness, while others have suggested that it was a particular signature
sin. Since “flesh” can mean either physical flesh or our sin nature (in
English), we have these two types of possibilities.
Yet, Paul spoke much of his exemplary life and even asked
that people become like him in his pure devotion to Jesus Christ. He spoke often
of his commitment to Christ, his purity, and all that he endured for the sake
of the gospel. This was not a man given to sin. He spoke often of how we cannot
please God if we are being led by our flesh, and how the flesh is in contrast
to the Spirit, and how if we are being controlled by the sinful nature we are
free from the control of the Spirit. So, Paul’s thorn could not have been a
signature sin. It could have been a temptation to a particular sin that
tormented him, though, and we all know how tormenting temptation can be.
It is pure conjecture, thus, to come up with any definitive “thorn”
for Paul’s “flesh,” but what we do know is that God gave him this thorn to keep
him from becoming conceited, that it was very troublesome to Paul, and it had
to do with a messenger of Satan tormenting him. I would like to suggest that
the thorn could have been as simple as what the Scripture says. A messenger is
an envoy, a go-between, or a herald (proclaimer; announcer). Messengers
generally speak, though not always. To torment means to be a nuisance; to
plague; pest; annoy, etc. What if his thorn in the flesh truly was a messenger
(voice) of Satan speaking to him in his ear with taunts to provoke, ridicule,
tease, and/or mock Paul continuously? That would definitely send him to his
knees and would keep him humble before God.
All Sufficient Grace
Three times Paul pleaded with the Lord (God; Jesus Christ)
to take the thorn away from him. Yet, each time Jesus Christ (God) replied: “My
grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I am
often encouraged by Jesus’ response to Paul, because I definitely got the
weakness part down pat! And, it regularly sends me to my knees in prayer and
humbleness before God. And, I, as well, have found God’s grace to be all
sufficient in my times of weakness or when Satan whispers his taunts into my
ears. Sometimes all I can pray is “HELP!” And, God hears, and he answers.
Sometimes I am able to lay my requests before God more fluently, and often with
tears. Yet, my Lord’s comfort and encouragement fill me to overflowing as he
reminds me often that he is with me, and that he can handle what I cannot
handle in my weakness.
As well, I have often experienced God’s power being
perfected in my weakness (not sin). Paul was not talking about weakness as sin
here. He was speaking of physical, mental or emotional weakness that hindered
him from being able to do what God had called him to do, or to endure what
persecutions, beatings, etc. that God allowed him to endure. He was a clay
vessel so that God’s all-surpassing power would be credited to God and not to
man. God does his best work through us, I believe, when there is no way we can
do this in our own flesh and it is so obvious that only God could do this. God
shows this to me in my life every day. God chose the weak things, and the
despised things, etc. to show that it is God doing the work, and not us.
I think a great deception has swept through today’s church
that demands physical, emotional, or mental perfection, and again I am not
making reference to sin. I am speaking of how we have this idea that everything
should be done to perfection according to man’s standards in our service to the
Lord so that it becomes more about performance and about us than it is about
the Lord. Spiritual gifts get confused with natural talents, and so we get this
idea that singers, preachers, musicians, etc. need to be entertaining, have
good stage presence, and be attractive to the world so the world will want to
come into our churches. Yet, the church is the body of Christ, and we are
supposed to meet together to edify and build one another up in the faith, and
then go out into the world to reach people for Jesus Christ. We aren’t supposed
to entertain the world. We are supposed to offend them with the truth of the
gospel – the cross – death to self; death to our flesh; death to sin, but alive
to Christ! Amen!
God uses weak people who know they cannot do what God wants
them to do on their own, and who recognize their total and absolute dependency
upon God for everything. Then, the Spirit of God can work through us in ways we
would have never imagined as we are yielded to him in complete surrender. So,
we should be thankful for our weaknesses (not sin), because then God is able to
do amazing things through us, though not amazing by human standards, but he is
able to work through us in ways that are beyond human understanding. And, it is
so obvious that only in the power and working of the Holy Spirit are we able to
do what God has given us to do. Amen!
A year ago this past April the Lord gave me a new gift – the
gift of writing simple songs of faith. These songs are not for entertainment
purposes. They are not perfectly executed. God gave me this gift at the age of
62. My voice is not what it was when I was much younger. Sometimes it cracks.
Sometimes I may not hit the notes right on. Yet, this is what God gave me, and
this is the voice he gave me. So, I share with you what I have been given. “Speak
to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs,” the word says. And, I
trust the Lord will use this for his glory and his purposes. “For when I am
weak, then I am strong.”
In Harmony / An
Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-15
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with
fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s
people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show
compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from
evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are
righteous;
Listens to their
prayers.
But He’s against evil
–
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they
fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make
Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Song lyrics and sheet music (free):
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