When I was a young girl there was a song sung by Twila Paris that, especially after I was diagnosed with diabetes, summed up my desire, my goal, for everything I wanted to be. Everything I hoped for my future was based around the ability to sing that song and mean it.
I have pasted a link to YouTube and encourage you to listen to it. It is called The Thorn and is based around 2 Corinthians 12:7.
“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 ESV
The ESV fits the song, calling it a thorn, but the MSG simplifies the meaning so nicely.
“I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 MSG
That scripture passage has meant a lot to me, always. But for some reason just a few nights ago it was brought to the forefront, heavily, again.
I am part of a Wednesday night ladies Bible study group. We are reading a book together, discussing what God is teaching us and sharing our burdens. All different ages, stages of life, backgrounds and I suppose different futures as well. Simply women. In the opening prayer, as a wonderful woman of God was lifting requests and giving thanks, I had impressed upon me SO STRONGLY the need to “thank Him for the thorn” of Covid.
Thank Him for Covid.
I wrote that, immediately, on a piece of paper in my devotional.
“Thank you for Covid!? It made us be still and quiet for just a moment. Remind us of that.”
Notice, I had to add a “?” at the end of the first statement. As I wrote that first line I wasn’t sure that I could mean it. However, God never stops with just the first line if we are listening.
I have mulled the whole thing over for a few days, and have been pulled back to the verses in 2 Corinthians over and over. That thorn, that handicap, was given for a reason. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. If I think I am strong, if I think I can do it on my own, then I am not letting Him be the strength.
Remember that, please, when you have a thorn poking at your side. Remember also thorns come in many different packages.
That last line that I wrote, “remind us of that”... I want to mean it.
I don’t know, not really, if I meant “remind us to be still and quiet” or “remind us to be thankful”, but I want to mean both.
I am choosing to mean both.
Beautifully, this verse from Psalm 46:10 was placed directly in front of me as a confirmation of both.
Be still.
Know, and trust, that He is God and we can be THANKFUL for even more than we want to recognize.
As Twila Paris sings,
Thank you for this thorn fellowship of pain
Teaching me to know you more never to complain
Thank You for this love planted in my side
Faithful patient miracle opening my eyes.
Remember to be still and quiet, for just a moment, and then to be thankful for that moment even if it was painful.
Be blessed my friends as you choose to trust Him today. Know that you are loved, always.
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