Luke 19:40

⁷ 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. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ 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. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10

We never really find out what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. Perhaps that is a good thing. If we did, we would box it up, package it and say that it belongs solely to Paul. The fact that it was never named gives us the opportunity to apply it to our lives. However before we attempt to name the thorn, let’s look at why God would give us a thorn in the flesh. We’ll do that by looking in Judges. God gave the Israelites their promised land, but instead of driving the inhabitants out, they disobeyed.

¹ Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, ² and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? ³ So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” Judges 2:1-3

In short, the Israelites broke covenant with God.

We too entered into covenant with God when we became Christians. Just as the Israelites with given power and authority by God to drive out the inhabitants, we were given power over our sins. How many of us have not exercised that power? How many of us feel like we are Christians and yet slaves to the same old sins that plagued us from our past?

Guess what? You may never be delivered from those sins. Sure, God has the power to do what he wants. He can wipe them away, but if you find yourself repeatedly asking God to take away a thorn in your flesh, maybe you need to approach the throne of God in a different and more humble way.

“Father God, forgive me for sinning against you for so long. If it’s Your will, take this thorn from me, but if not, teach me. Help me to grow closer to you so that I will no longer be ensnared. From this point forward, I surrender all to you. I will keep nothing for myself.”