Thorn in the flesh

Oh Lord,

I’m scheduled to serve, to love You and others in my church.

I agreed to it. Planned. Prepared.

In Your grace, symptoms a bit lessened in the preparation.

But I awake on the day, symptoms flaring.

Screaming.

Threatening to wipe out plans.

Letting others down.

Letting me down.

Would it let You down?

What do I do? Stay home? Go?

What is Your desire?

For me, for those I’m supposed to be with.

What is Your plan, for Your always-good purposes?

How can I? Should I try?

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

(Hawkes, A. S., 1872)

Your gift in today’s “one chapter a day” Bible reading plan.

2 Corinthians 12, providentially ordered in Your perfect plan.

Today.

Abiding love. Compassionate mercy.

A thorn in the flesh

“A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan” (2 Cor. 12:7 CSB).

Thorns.

Constant torment.

Pain-full.

Sometimes worse, sometimes easier to tolerate.

Can’t get a thorn out.

Stuck in the flesh.

Draining energy.

Chronic.

So sad. Grief.

Kerplunking “what if” thoughts. “Woe is me” thoughts. “I can’t keep going” thoughts.

“I” thoughts. Tempting thoughts.

From Satan.

Your good purpose?

“So that I would not exalt myself” (2 Cor. 12:7 CSB).

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,

deeper than the mighty rolling sea,

higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,

all-sufficient grace for even me;

broader than the scope of my transgressions, sing it!

greater far than all my sin and shame.

O magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise his name!

(Lillenas, H., 1918)

“But he gives more grace.

Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (Jas. 4:6 ESV, emphasis added).

My pleading, so humbled and needy…please take it away if this is Your will

“I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me” (2 Cor. 12:8 CSB).

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.

(Hawks, A. S., 1872)

Tears of Your comfort. Your empowering gift of grace.

Oh, Father, Your favor and blessing, Your gift to me in simply being Your beloved in Christ, so needy. Your sustaining and forever lovingkindness.

Grace.

It is sufficient, enabling me to bear the evil, possessing Your unfailing and power-full strength by Your Spirit.

“Made perfect?”

Oh, precious Savior, my Lord Jesus Christ!

It is the same word of Your cry on the cross, having drunk the entire cup of punishment for my sin, such grace and gift to me as Your beloved!

Tetelestai.

“It is finished” (Jn. 19:30 ESV).

So, You are perfecting.

Accomplishing.

Finishing.

Fulfilling Your kingdom plan, working through Your weak and dependent vessels of clay.

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured–
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

(Johnston, J. H., 1910)

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3 ESV).

That Christ’s power may reside in me, content and satisfied in Your presence

My weakness? Your power.

My thorn? Your strength.

My sin? Your cleansing.

My going, being “with,” but “with” symptoms?

Grace upon grace upon grace.

All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall…

(Perronet, E., 1790)

“Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me” (2 Cor. 12:9 CSB).

“So I take pleasure in weaknesses…hardships…difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10 CSB).

bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all!

“Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Eph. 5:18-19 ESV).

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9 ESV).

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me

(Iverson, D., 1926)

Yes, Lord, today? I will go as the thorn digs in, asking for help from others

“If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8:31 CSB, emphasis added)

Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
ye ransomed of the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all!

(Perronet, E., 1790)

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37 CSB, emphasis added).

Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
the wormwood and the gall,
go, spread your trophies at his feet,
and crown him Lord of all!

(Perronet, E., 1790)

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39 ESV).

In His glorious name, the One who is accomplishing all we as His beloved need, to the praise of His glorious grace alone, Jesus Christ, amen and amen.

A podcast to help with our “thorny” symptoms

In case you’re wondering, our Lord did enable and empower me to sit up and play the piano for our church service that January morning! Glory to our Lord and King! Now, 15 months after my second brain surgery and continuing nerve pain and intracranial pressure, it is His immense gift of grace that I am even alive and able to play a tiny bit again. I’ll soon share the story of what He did last Sunday as I seek to love and glorify Him through music in our local church. I’ll bet you have many stories of God’s abundant grace to you, too, in your own “doing” and not “doing.”

In moments of battling symptoms, for whatever He is calling you to “do” in this earthly life, I’m praying the music therapy-inspired podcast of these Scriptures and hymns will be God’s healing gift of grace to you. To help you “do” as He alone desires for you right now.

See instructions in the podcast show notes about breathing to the music and how it can help your body rest as your soul and mind rest. I’m using these regularly, for they are actively helping me to sit up and “be with” others! And to battle the 10/10 pain when it fires up. Glory to our God!