A THEOLOGY OF THORNS
2
Corinthians 12:7-10
There
was given 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 to me, “My
trace 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.
In his book, Songs in the Night, Dr. Milton addresses the
fact of thorns in our lives. Christians are not exempt from attack by Satan.
Such attacks come in our spirit, from the words of people or from the ruling
authorities in the world who target us directly. No matter the source, we can
be sure that as followers of Christ we will be targets for those who oppose the
truth. Jesus reminded the first disciples, and us, saying: “If the world hates
you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”(John 15:18)
Thorns are common to God’s people. Christians in every
era of history have experienced them. Thorns are a gift of God to you. They are
given to counter our human weakness to exalt ourselves and not Christ. Thorns
may be a direct satanic attack against you. The source of thorns can be Satan
himself, remember Job. Thorns can produce a sense of God’s abandonment. They
create a crisis of faith and a distrust of God himself.
Thorns produce prayer that
leads to the voice of Jesus in your life. God’s intention is to remind us of
our humanity and his divinity. Thorns lead to a new understanding of God’s
grace in your life. What is experienced from these thorns are nothing in
comparison to what Christ suffered for our own sins. Thorns lead to a new
contentment in your life over the other hardships you may face. They force us
to put many things in our life into their true and proper perspective. In the
end, thorns can lead to victory, by way of our persevering faith in our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
As we contemplate the thorns in our daily life, may we
find comfort and encouragement in knowing that in God’s hand such pain is used
to lead us into a new life and a greater trust in Jesus.
Songs
in the Night
by Dr. Michael Milton.
