The Joy of Glory

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (click here)
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Reflection
Paul’s thorn… was it from God or from Satan?

He explicitly calls it a messenger from Satan… so I guess that means it is from Satan, right? Then again, he says that it was given to him to keep him from becoming conceited. Well that is God’s good purpose… so I guess that means it is from God, right?

Is the thorn from God or Satan? Paul answers, “YES!”

Through this thorn, whatever it is, Satan is aiming to destroy Paul’s faith! But the sovereign God over all is working through this thorn to strengthen Paul’s faith! It makes Paul rely all the more on the power that God provides, and his gracious power proves sufficient! Thus, Paul’s faith is strengthened!

It turns out that this thorn is for Paul’s good! It keeps him humble and depending on the Lord. Thus, the thorn is also for God’s glory, for the sake of Christ, as he works through it to show the world his power through Paul!

This “messenger from Satan” sent to torment Paul, becomes a messenger sent to teach the world of God’s grace! Satan loses! God wins!

This is true of every “thorn” in your life!

All too often we look at our thorns and only talk about how they are messengers from Satan sent to torment us and destroy our faith. And we can talk about them that way! We can call all our thorns evil and of the devil! BUT… if we only talk about or see them that way, then we are missing an even deeper reality, namely, that our sovereign God rules over Satan! He rules over all our thorns! And he uses them as a means of grace in our lives!

When we look at our thorns, we must not only see how they are messengers from Satan, but also full of purpose from God! They keep us humble and reliant not upon ourselves, but upon him and his power! Of course, we can pray for the Lord to take them away, and he may… but he also might say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore, let us boast all the more gladly of our weaknesses and thorns, so that the power of Christ might be shown to the world! For his sake, for his glory and our good, may all “messengers from Satan” sent to torment us, become messengers sent to teach the world of God’s grace!

Satan loses! God wins!

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

2 Corinthians 11:16-30 (click here)
Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches…

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
(2 Corinthians 11:24-28 and 30)

Reflection
Paul sure has a strange way of boasting.

Most of us boast in our strengths or things that make us appear important… like how busy we are. I often catch my children bragging to one another about ways they can outdo each other.

“I can hit a baseball farther!” // “I can ride horses better!” // “I’m Papa’s favorite!”

When it comes to boasting… we bring up everything that makes us feel and appear superior… but not Paul.

Paul goes low. He boasts in his weaknesses. Why?

Perhaps it is to show another’s strength. Perhaps it is specifically through all of the things that sap his strength that another’s strength must sustain him and can therefore be shown to the watching world.

As Paul is beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, in danger, and rejected, God sustains him and God is Paul’s boast! He boasts in his weaknesses that God’s greatness may be seen! He goes low so that God is lifted up!

What weaknesses do you have that may serve as ways in which God displays his strength through you? How can you boast in your weaknesses? How can you go low that God may be lifted up in your life?

How can you have a strange way of boasting?
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Acts 9:1-22 (click here)
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:1-5)

Reflection
My children fight on occasion. I know that is shocking. I mean… siblings fighting is such a strange thing, right? Well, they do fight and sometimes things may even get physical. I have a “zero tolerance” policy for such violence between my children. They are not allowed to push, pull, hit, smack, shove, bite, or touch one another in any other way that expresses anger.

If they do, then the offending party always gets the same speech which I emphatically conclude with the words, “No one hurts my child and gets away with it… no one!”

My bond with my children is so close that any attack against their well-being might as well be an attack against me! I think we all know this feeling whether we have children or not. Perhaps you have felt this kind of bond with a sibling and no one was allowed to pick on your brother or sister (except you of course). Or perhaps you have felt such a bond with a significant other, or even a really close friend.

We all know what it is like to be bonded with another so that their hurt is our hurt. Their pain is our pain.

In an even greater, deeper way this is true of the bond between Christ and his church! In Acts 9, Saul sets out to continue persecuting the disciples of Jesus, but when Jesus himself appears to Saul on the road to Damascus he asks, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME?… I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

In persecuting the church, Saul was persecuting Christ! When people come after you, insult you, and harm you… Jesus says they are doing it to him and God will bring that to an end for no one hurts his child and gets away with it… no one!

Yes, we will experience persecution and suffering now, but the day is coming when Christ will right all wrongs and justice will be done! Persecutors like Saul will not get away with what they have done! Their sin will either be judged through the cross of Christ because they repent and trust in him (such was the case with Saul) or they will bear the weight of their own sin and its judgment will fall on them. Either way, justice will be done when Christ’s kingdom comes!

Oh Christian, take heart when the world comes against you for Christ has overcome the world! When they come against you, they are coming against him… and he has already overcome them! That will be proven true, and it will be proven true for you! Take heart… no one hurts his child and gets away with it… no one!

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.