What are thorns? Thorns are the pointed part of a plant, that stay in your skin that you have to be willing to remove, why do you remove them? because it hurts.
6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2nd Corinthians 12:6-10
When Paul was writing to the church in Corinth he was explaining to them about a thorn. A thorn in a biblical aspect is about something keeping you humble, something keeping you in your place so you do not become prideful. Peter was called to build a bunch of these churches to expand Gods plan and to spread God's kingdom.
I feel like If I were in Paul's place that I would need to find my strength in what God had for me. A thorn is something that simply keeps you grounded to not rely on yourself and more on what God has for you. If you read in 1 Kings about Elijah ( chapter 17-19 ) he stands up for faith and defeats Baal's profits, and not only stands up for God, he commands fire to come and destroy them. So If I were Elijah I would feel like wow I am top notch ( go ahead dust your shoulders off) But then in 19 he is fleeing because one of Baal's followers has threatened him. He is scared.
So my question is, you can do so much with God guiding you and defending you, but when it comes to small things such as being scared, after just defending the faith, where is your faith? Or is there a purpose behind it, to keep you from becoming more then yourself, and having a big head. I know for me I help teach the bible study for my campus ministry as well as help lead the VSM ( Vineyard Student Ministries) however I do not find security in the words that I speak, and I sometimes feel conflicted, because I think I am doing what Jesus asks me to, but I feel like I do not explain things to the best, and that would be my thorn.
My thorn I can get through whatever knowing that Jesus is there, In verse 9 it says " My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." being weak, and knowing when things are a struggle for you is perfectly okay. Its when you say you did it on your own then it becomes an issue, and your head begins to swell.
Jeremiah 9 : 23-24
23 This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches,24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:that they have the understanding to know me,that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
