The Thorn

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9

The apostle Paul was dealing with what he called a thorn in the flesh. Scripture never tells us exactly what that thorn was—only that it was something painful, persistent, and impossible to remove. It was a “messenger of Satan,” sent to torment him. Paul pleaded with God to take it away, but God didn’t.

As hard as this may be to hear, there are times when God allows the enemy’s attacks to serve His greater purpose. Why would a loving Father allow His children to suffer? The answer is found in purpose. God uses our pain not to punish us, but to prepare us.

Look at the life of Paul. Despite his suffering, he became one of the most influential voices of faith, authoring thirteen books of the New Testament and spreading the gospel across the world. His thorn didn’t disqualify him; it refined him. It kept him humble and dependent on God’s grace. When Paul begged for relief, God answered with this:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

There was something greater God was doing, something Paul couldn’t see.

Sometimes the Lord will use our weaknesses to reveal His power within us. I think of my own thorn, the chronic pain that began after I fell down a flight of thirteen stairs in 2019. Four major neck surgeries later, and still the pain remained. I prayed again and again for God to take it away. But when the bone still refused to fuse properly, and another surgery loomed, I found myself utterly helpless.

Yet, even in those moments, God was working out His power plan—both in my life and my ministry. Each surgery, each setback, each sleepless night became part of His preparation. These were the seasons where my faith was deepened, where I learned not just to endure but to praise Him even when healing didn’t come.

If God had removed my thorn, I might have missed the strength He was building in me, or the purpose He was calling me to. My pain became the soil where His power grew.

Paul’s words remind us:

“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me… For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

If that fall had never happened, my first book would not have been written.
If that fall had never happened, Fighting Goliath would never have been born.
If that fall had never happened, this devotional wouldn’t exist.

God is not trying to harm you—He is equipping you.
Your thorn is not your punishment; it is your preparation for the anointing you were called to carry.

Reflect:

Where has God used your weakness to reveal His strength?

Remember:

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
— 2 Corinthians 9:8

Rejoice:

When your strength feels spent and your spirit weary, remember that His grace is endless.

The hymn “He Giveth More Grace” was written by Annie Johnson Flint (1866–1932)—a woman who lived with crippling arthritis yet radiated unshakable faith. Bedridden for much of her life, Annie penned words that echo the same truth Paul declared: God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.

“When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father’s full giving is only begun.”

Let her words remind you today that when you reach the end of yourself, you’ve reached the beginning of His grace.

Photo credit: Joshua Earle