The Cup & The Thorn

One of the most popular mantras in Christian circles today is “what God cannot do does not exist”. In other words, God can do all things and there is no argument about that. The question though is will He? God’s ability is never in dispute, His willingness is another thing.

When things got hairy for Jesus in the garden on the night of His betrayal, and fear gripped Him, Jesus knew that if anybody could put a stop to His impending suffering, it was His father. He knew that if God would, He could abort the whole plan. Well, we all know what happened-Jesus died as planned.

Then there was the great Apostle Paul and his famous thorn in the side. In his own words, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” …” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9a.

The challenges both Jesus and Paul faced were for a purpose. Jesus’, so you and I can have abundant life and Paul’s, to keep him from “becoming conceited” so he would complete his assignment.

There are some difficulties and trials we will experience in this life that God will not get us out of, for our own good. Sometimes after you’ve prayed for God to remove a thorn to no avail, pause and ask God, what He wants to teach you in or from that situation.

Tough times and tough situations can make us become better Christians, if we will let them. They force us to draw closer to God and strengthen our faith too. They help keep us on the path to purpose, mold our character and make us humble.

Your pain will not be wasted if you take pains to learn from it. God didn’t remove Jesus’ cup or Paul’s thorn and we all continue to benefit from that. He sent angels to strengthen Jesus and provided sufficient grace for Paul to continue. I pray that God will grant you grace to endure and to continue to trust that He still knows what’s best for you. Your cup or your thorn will not crash you. You’ve got this! God is still on your side.

Blessings.

Love, Lady Monica ❤