It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 1 Corinthians 12: 1-10. Note: in spiritual communication, importunity is a law of continual asking through imploration to God until we receive, but as soon as the mind of God is made know to us concerning our petition, we should rest on his grace to submit and abide in the will of the heavenly Father – his grace will always be sufficient for us.
Spiritual brokenness is a Christian way of life which we can progerssively attain unto through increasing and completing obedience to the word as we work to bring every thoughts in us unto the obedience of Christ, otherwise, we shall be made humbled by God chastenings to accomplish humbleness of mind through brokeness. Howsoever, there is a purpose of God designed to keep us balance, humble and be re-moulded through chastenings for obedience to keep us in his will. Our obedience to the word shows our practical love to God, but his chastenings shows his love for us that we might be partakers of his holiness. The wisdom of God should not be challenged nor resisted in whateever he sent or allowed into our lives, there is nothing happening to us without the knowledge and permission of God: there is a reason and eternal purpose for everything – he that loves his child chastises him many times. Proverbs 29:15.
Pride defiles and disqualify anyone for heaven. God will never tolerate pride in anyone, but rather resist it. Goid is never pleased with arrogant talks, arrogant looks, arrogant walk, arrogant thoughts etc, – every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Proverbs 16:5.
Judgement must begins at the house of God, when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:32. Divine chastenings and corrections are like the pricking thorns in the flesh: though can be grievious, and come in many different forms, its overall purpose is to keep us humble befire God. Corrections and divine disciplines are meant to redress us, we should not despise them lest they become an offense and missed out its present blessings and fruit for its eternal purpose in our life.
Who can understand his errors? Psalms 19:12. Several times, I’ve heard some believers in troubles asking themself or others, or God, why me, what have I done wrong to deserves this, i don’t deserve this. But God deos not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth. To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, to subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Lamentations 3:33-40.
Finally, apostle Paul, by asking God, understands the reason and purpose of divine chastening to submit under the rod in cooperation to what God is doing to accomplish in his life, – and lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
The thorn in the flesh of Apostle Paul was an affliction from God, not an affliction of the gospel: though both should be endured, we should be able to diffrentiate the differences between the two, and to know how to handle them and what to expect from each of them.
The affliction from God is a rod of chastening for everyone in the kingdom, enlisted and approved for heaven, – my son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chastened, and scourges every son whom he receive. If you endure chastening, God dealt with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then you are bastards and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers in the flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastening us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemed to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Hebrews 12: 5-11.
The affliction of the gospel are the trials, difficulties, confrontations and many personal sacrifices to make as the result of our faith in Chirst – And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. Mark 4:16-17. To this, Apostle Paul reminds Timothy be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God – to willingly have his own share of the troubles brought about by the good news of the gospel according to the power of God – that is, no matter what Satan brings or throws at him, he has been built by God to endure and equal for the tasks and challenges through the power of the Holy-Spirit that dwells in him. 2 Timothy 1:8.
It is the afflictions of the righteous, says David, – the troubles of believing in God, but the LORD deliver him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psalms 34:19-20. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. Isaiah 54:11-13.
The affliction of the gospel is a normal and general experience for every genuine believer to undergo in the world. It is the assault from the enemy, the proof of your faith and precious salvation and sonship, that you are of the light and of the truth, the incorruptible seed of the word which has fallen on the good soil. It is our spiritual trials which are meant to keep us strong and to advance us as we are walking and abiding in the truth – Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Psalms 119:67. Going by this text, it is imparative to say that those who will not endure the affliction of the gosple, but failed, shall go through the affliction of the Lord to correct and bring them back to the right way – It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Psalms 119:71.
King Nebuchanezar seven years spent with the beasts of the field was the thorn in his flesh to teach him humlility, that those that walk in pride God is able to abase. Daniel 4:37. Except we repent and turn away, we should expect trouble and affliction for correction, if we indulge in any unrightoeusness. Judgement start in the house of God, that we might not be condemned with the people of the world. The thorn in the flesh is meant to help us against sin, to avert eternal damnation and destruction, not sent to kill or destroy us now – art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. Habakkuk 1:12.
God has created all things for his pleasure. The thorn in the flesh is not directly from the Devil against us, but it is the mesanger of Satan employed by the Lord – just as an evil spirit from the Lord troubled King Saul to humbled him, after the spirit of God left him. 1 Samuel 16:14-15.
God, not only speaks or twice through our dreams and visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man – he keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword: also, he uses thorn sent in the flesh to accomplish the same purposes in those who are as horse and mule with no understanding of his guidance and will, who have chosen his own ways, to keep back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. Job 33:15-18. Psalms 32:8-9.
Sometimes, God put a thorn in the flesh to correct against sin as was the experience of Apostle Paul thorn in the flesh sent to prevent him from being spiritually arrogant because of the abundance of grace he received and the abundance of revelations he was given access for the effectiveness and fruitfulness of his ministry. Certain inexplicabble painful experiences sent from the Lord might help us to be humbled, and they are as the thorn in our flesh, for they are not convinient, but grievous, though his grace shall be made sufficient for us in all things, just as we see from the experiences of the children of Israel in wilderness to the promised land – And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chastened his son, so the Lord thy God chastened thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills. A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then your heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; and thou say in thine heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that gives thee power to get wealth that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8: 2-18.
We should rejoice, if any trouble in the flesh, from the outward man, positively affects the renewing of the inward man, to withdrawn pride from us, if afflictions outwardly are gain to us inwardly, when the body is sick, and weak, despite the physical challenges or losses, like Jacob was broken by God in the hallow of his thigh, make us a better child to God to share in his holiness, to make the soul healthy and prosperous, why then should we look at the things which are seen, rather than to focus on the things which are not seen? For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
Unresreved – un-questionable obedience to the word of God is required from us, if we are to overcome the troubles or challenges of this present evil world, if we are not to compromise or sway away from the will of God, otherwise, a thorn in the flesh shall be sent to trouble us to bring us back to him. It is better to be at odds with men, to lose out their favor, because we choose to stand on the word and will of God, than to please people or the so called special person at the expense of our relationship with God, and such people become a thorn in our flesh – but if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Numbers 33:55. Note: except we humble ourself before God to his will and word, not to think highly of ourself beyond what is required, but to walk in humility, by casing down imaginations, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, God will send a thorn in the flesh, whatever it is, in any from or way to keep us humble.
When the sickness or whatever trouble persists, though you have fasted, prayed and sowed to yourself in rightoeusness, that you might reap in mercy, been to doctors while you’re standing on the word and promises of God on healing by his stripes, but nothing is changing, consider it as the thorn in your flesh, let his grace be sufficient for you.
When you pray healing for others and they were healed, but your own sickness is there, your wife, son, mother, brother or sister are not heal while you lay hands on others and they are healed, it is the thorn in your flesh to keep you humble, that none should think they can control the spirit of God, let his grace be sufficent for you.
You’ve preached salvation to other people’s husband, wife and kids to be saved, and they were saved by the Lord, but your children are rebellious, wayward, unbelieveing sons and daughetrs of Belial, causing you shame and reproach, this situation is the thorn in your flesh to keep you humble, that you might know that it is not of him that wills, neither of him that runs, but of God who shows mercy. Commit them to the care and mercy of God in prayer, and let his grace be sufficient for you.
Let his grace be sufficient for you, though it is a thorn in your flesh, when you are called, addressed and identified by others through your deformity and dissability like the blind Bartimeaus, or the man with wither hand, or the man who was born blind were called by their sickness as if they don’ t have an actual name which could not be linked to their problem – You know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Galatians 4:13-14.
It is thorn in the flesh of the believing son who is been persecuted by his own father or the father persecuted by his own son, let the grace of God be sufficient for such. It is the thorn in the flesh of the father in law being persecuted because of the gosple by his son in law, let him stay humble and know that God’s grace is sufficient for him. It is the thorn in the flesh of the mother in law being persecuted by her daughter in law because of Christ, let her stay humble and know that God’s grace is sufficient for her, she don’t need to fight in this matter – although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: but the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. 2 Samuel 23:5-7.
Whatever is causing you to be arrogant, it is either God remove or take it away from you, lest you fall into the condemnation of Satan – pride, or God send a thorn into your flesh to keep you humble while you have it in your possession. God will go to any lenght to help and keep us in humility. Why are the pricking tares allow to stay among the wheat in the church, are they not to keep us humble in obedience as we continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? Matthew 13: 24-30.
As long as it is the thorn, it is pricking, and as long as it the messenger of Satan, it is evil, whatever it is, his grace should be sufficient for you. Though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. The grace of God shall be made sufficient, if you contnue to stay humble before him who has given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over every powers of the enemy, that nothing shall by any means hurt you. Ezekiel 2:6.