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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

A Thorny Question



Do you have a thorn in the flesh?  In the New Testament, Paul talks about his prayers to God to take away this thorn in his flesh.  We don’t know exactly what this might have been, but Paul implies a failing eyesight when he mentions that he has written in his letter (to the Galatian church) himself in big letters. My suspicion is that the thorn was, in fact,  his eyesight, and possibly eyesight that was damaged and not completely healed on the road to Damascus when he was blinded by the light from God and asked why he was persecuting followers of Jesus.

Paul said God’s answer to his prayers was “my Grace is sufficient to you,” and never did remove this “thorn.”  God uses people with thorns.  Sometimes I think he uses them more than any person without one, maybe because that drawback has pulled someone closer to God for some reason.

Do you have a thorn? They come in all sizes and types: Physical disability, or perhaps you don’t feel smart enough or talented enough? Maybe you long for a relationship and feel being single is a thorn for you.  I know I’ve felt that way, but we can still be used by God.

Maybe being used by God isn’t high on your list of priorities.  You possibly don’t have much interest in religion and have enough to worry about just surviving in this fast paced and ever changing world.  I can understand that, and I can understand that faith is difficult.  It’s about believing something you can’t empirically prove.  Perhaps the thorn in your flesh is your disbelief. 

Perhaps you are destined to be blinded on the road to Damascus, too.  God does funny things sometimes to get our attention.

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