So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

2 Corinthians 12:7

Thorns! How they have terrorized me!

My memory flashes back to my childhood days. The early morning trekking to the farm through narrow paths, so closely-cropped that one could hardly see the ground. I remember the cold dew on leaves that soaked through clothing and the invisible lines of ants that were ready to creep all over you if you disrupt their formation with your feet. There were the itchy leaves that could get you scratching your skin for hours. Then comes the terror of thorny bushes, tearing into every part of the body that touches them. Our western brethren can’t relate to this. Their forests have little undergrowth and spacious foliage. That’s why I can relate to Paul and the terror of the thorn God gave to harass him.

The good thing was that when I had endured the thorns and went for the desired harvest from the farm, O, the joy and the reward! There was food in the house, and sometimes, enough to share with a neighbor.

I learned to use the cutlass to work my way through the forest paths. I became conscious of harmful foliage and became vigilant about thorns and ant fields. Best of all, I learned to appreciate God’s protection from snake bites. How many of them did I step on without knowing? So, thorns and other hazards that come our way have a lot to teach us concerning life.

Paul’s thorn in the flesh was for a purpose. God gave it to humble him, “because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations” he received from his third heaven experience (2 Cor. 12:1-7). Three times He sought relief, but God turned Him down. All Paul heard was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me,” Paul said, (9).

The thorns of life can teach us a lot for growth in the Lord. He gives grace liberally to see us through the suffering and pain from the thorns in our lives (9).

What are your thorns? How painful is their terror? How have you travailed in prayer for God’s deliverance? Have you learned to appropriate His grace?
Rather than focusing on the thorns, you will do better to cling to God’s grace to carry you through them, learn to conquer the terrain, and rule over them. God’s power will perfect you in your weakness.