Title Grace from Thorns
Contents
Hymn: 434, "Let My Way Go All My Ways"
Meditation: Acknowledge the Lord in control of your life.
Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed
Text: “Because the revelations were exceedingly great, so that I would not be overconfident, a thorn, a messenger of Satan, was given to me in my flesh… ” (2 Corinthians 12:7)
Word: The Apostle Paul was a man who had too much to boast about. He was circumcised on the eighth day after he was born. He was of the tribe of Israel. He was a Hebrew among the Hebrews from the tribe of Benjamin. Moreover, he had Roman citizenship.
But he was a man who captured and imprisoned and persecuted those who believed in Jesus. However, after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was changed and experienced God.
The apostle Paul prays because of the thorn God gave him during his ministry. When we pray to be healed of physical ailments, the Lord says, “Your grace is sufficient.” The God who loved the apostle Paul gave him a thorn because if everything was perfect, he could become proud and fall into mysticism. God also gives us a thorn to seek the Lord and not become arrogant. There are many thorns among the people who believe in God.
There is God's grace in the thorns that God gives, so we should never complain. Those who believe in God only need to follow the path that the Lord leads unconditionally because God will bless them and lead them beautifully in any environment. Even among pastors, there are many people who seek the Lord because of the thorn.
The apostle Paul suffered greatly from eye disease. But I thanked God for giving me the thorn. Even though the apostle Paul had thorns, he was a person who glorified God, and in that state he received the wonderful blessing of saving the soul.
Whatever thorns are, God has given them for my benefit. Because it is a thorn that God has given to bless us spiritually and physically, we must always acknowledge God and rely on God's power to move forward.
Prayer: Father God, grant us the faith to know your wonderful vision and plan and to possess that power. Help me not to be discouraged even in the midst of difficulties, not to suffer because of thorns, but rather to have a beautiful faith that allows me to rejoice and be thankful. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord's Prayer