Aug 10 - When God Says "No"

Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Context: People in Corinth had been listening to false teachers who criticized Paul and his 'real' purpose, trying to get people to think Paul was a fraud. He has just finished explaining many of the things he has suffered for the gospel, boasting in his suffering.

Text:

1I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. 5I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.

7To 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. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But 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. 10That 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. (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

As humans, we suffer through many things. We have financial, health, and relationship problems. Some of these we bring on ourselves, others come unbidden and unwanted. Even Paul, a man who was obviously chosen by God to be transformed from a foe to a preacher of the faith, had a 'thorn in his side.' He had pleaded with God to take it away, but God said, "No."

Do you have something that you have been praying about for a long time? Something that hinders your life everyday? You know that you could be so much more effective in serving God if he would just take it away, but he just doesn't see it that way. Sometimes these thorns keep us close to God's side. If we didn't have them, we might stray away, thinking that we didn't really need him. Of course we tell him that this would never happen, but he knows us better than we know ourselves.

If you have prayed that God would take away an illness, a handicap, a weakness for certain temptations, or even a difficult person to deal with and he doesn't seem to be listening, it is time to rethink the situation. Maybe he has allowed this 'thorn' to continue in your life just so you will cling to him. Maybe you are to work through it and be better able to help others in the same situation. You may not know why you suffer with it until you get to Heaven, and then everything will be clear. In the meantime, remember that God knows best. He's not being cruel to you by not taking away your thorn...he might be blessing your life in ways you can't understand. His grace is sufficient to help you get through.