"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." (Paul speaking)......
Was it an illness, some sort of handicap...depression? No one really knows but my heart has always ached for him knowing he suffered not only for the Gospel of Christ... beatings, ridicule, imprisonment, torment....but knowing he also suffered on a daily basis from some other type of discomfort or torment as well!
I find myself thinking about Paul alot lately. I, too, have been suffering from a "thorn in my flesh" for some time now. There have been so many times lately that I've wanted to give up, quit pushing through it, wash my hands from it...but then I think about Paul.... here's a man who loved the Lord so much that he persevered through all the beatings and torment that most men could only imagine! Then on top of that, he had the hindrance of this "thorn in his flesh" he had to painfully endure on a daily basis! How did he do it?! Where was he getting his will to go on?!
I think we all know where Paul drew his faith and strength from... Under the circumstances that he lived and the things he endured, his will to fight had to come from the One and ONLY Living God, our Lord, Jesus Christ! And we know this because we find him crying out to the Lord for strength on numerous occasions, walking in obedience regardless of his circumstances, and steadily preaching the Gospel wherever and whenever God called....that shows faith...which in turn God supplied the strength he needed to get him through!
I long for just an ounce of that faith right now...the road seems so long...and my feet feel so weary.....
I find comfort today in this song....
"I am weak but thou are strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to thee.
Thro' this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but thee, dear Lord, none but thee.
Just a closer walk with thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be."
No comments:
Post a Comment