GOD PREFERS THE BROKEN!

GOD PREFERS THE BROKEN!

2 Cor 12:7-10

7 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.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 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.

10 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.

          While I love a good mystery, we can only speculate on Paul’s condition. The word “thorn” is from the Greek skolops which springs from two other Greek words. Skelos refers to a “withering” and optanomai means “to gaze with wide open eyes.” Since we are not told exactly what Paul’s thorn was, it is not hard to imagine it had something to do with his eyes. In fact Paul gives us two clues to the condition. The first is that he had Luke as his secretary or scribe. The other is in the following verse.

Gal 6:11

11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

          Paul was persecuting the church when God blinded him with a bright light. It is reasonable to assume that the church was praying for relief. We can also assume that Paul was pondering the one event that haunted him. He had held the coats for those who stoned Stephen. Paul never released his feeling of guilt for that. We also know that God was plotting something amazing for the life of Paul. The church was praying! Paul was pondering and God was plotting!

          Eventually, Paul understood his handicap to be a blessing in disguise. Because he was weak, God would have to be personally involved with whatever service Paul would provide. God would have to be closer to a weakened Paul than a strong Paul. God was close! Paul was able to take pleasure in his infirmities.

          Paul was “a chosen vessel” dug from the clay pits of sin with the Potter’s own hand. He had the Potter’s thumb print on his life. He was a marked man. He was later able to say that he was “not his own” but was bought with a price. In fact, he thought of himself as “dead” and alive only to the will of God. If he had to function as a broken vessel then, so be it.

1 Cor 1:26-29

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Dear God, thank you for every blemish you have chosen to allow in me. When I cry out, be near to me for you are my strength. AMEN