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“There was given to 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, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness!” – 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
Sometimes we live with thorns…. We want so badly for God to take something away, to heal us, to prevent a certain situation from happening... BUT God uses our pain for His purpose and for His glory. That hardship you are going through…. IT’S NOT MEANINGLESS! Its DOING SOMETHING! It may not look like it in the middle of it but it's serving a purpose in your life…. Your “hard season” or your “thorn in the flesh” is there to teach you something…. How else are we supposed to relate or empathize with others dealing with thorns if we haven’t experienced them and learned the lessons in those seasons? God wants to use you to reach others and most of the time HE USES THE DIFFICULT STUFF YOU HAVE WALKED THROUGH to do that.
What’s an example of something difficult you have walked through that helped you relate to someone else whereas before you were not as understanding or couldn’t empathize with someone dealing with that particular situation? ((For me its depression… mental health stuff, its being married and then divorced from someone struggling with addiction, && childbirth…. To name a few))
Our thorns have the potential to choke out our faith, but if we can find a way to live with our thorns by trusting God, they may end up strengthening our faith and even enhancing our lives.
“Some people grumble that roses have thorns, I’m just glad that thorns have roses” -Marteau
READ THAT AGAIN!
Sometimes our lives are strangled by thorns…. BUT God hears our cries, and He sends roses… sometimes bouquets of them! REMEMBER in the midst of your own struggles, you can be God’s rose to other hurting people. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR DIFFICULT SEASON! We are always within God’s boundaries of love and protection. James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” I have read that verse a million times and it hits different once you have walked through darkness and you realize that through faith you really did persevere and because of it you matured, and your worship is a reflection of it! BECAUSE NOW…. You begin to see that your testimony has the power to set the bound free and to keep you from going back to what once bound you.
You have been equipped to overcome the enemy by the blood of Jesus and with your testimony. Just as God equipped Moses to lead the Israelites with Aaron and his staff, just as God kept his promise to give Joshua victory over the Canaanites, just as God gave Esther the courage to go before the king, he will also equip us for the tasks he gives us.
The night before Jesus went to the cross, he was in the garden, and he asked Peter, James, and John to pray……
Jesus said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death, Remain here and watch. And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him and he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” – Mark 14:34-36
Even before the cross Jesus endured agony…. And what did He do when faced with it? HE PRAYED! Just like Paul…. Jesus felt so close to God that he referred to him as Abba (Daddy). But God did not take the pain away, instead he strengthened Jesus to be able to do His will….. take the cup and drink. **Jesus wasn’t asking for humanity to perish- but was asking if there was another way. There wasn’t another way so Jesus went to the cross FOR US! HE wore a crown of thorns FOR US!
It is during our darkest hour that we most need to tenaciously cling to the truth….. You can make the difficult CHOICE to WORSHIP THROUGH IT! Cling to God’s promises in the middle of it!
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”
GRACE UPON GRACE….
So, I have some questions for you to ponder….
Think about the roses that God sent you during a difficult season in your life. How did that effect you?
Have you written out your testimony? Would you be prepared to share it if The Lord prompted you to?
When have you been a rose in a troubled person's life? Who have you comforted because of the comfort you received from the Father of compassion?
***Please see the book: "Living with Thorns" by Mary Ann Froechlich - A lot of this was inspired by her book!
Thanks for reading, sweet friends!
<3 The Bohemian Homemaker - Michelle Warren
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