2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Thorn in the Flesh
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: May 19, 2020 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
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.
(Understanding the Text) Thorn in the flesh means something physical. It harasses Paul, and keeps him from becoming conceited, so it is something that is difficult to be ignored, and something that would lower his arrogance. Some people think it is poor eyesight. I don’t think so because Paul had been healed of that previously. However, I could be wrong. I thought about it being a speech impediment or stutter because of the Corinthians’ contempt for Paul’s speech compared to the false apostles, but Paul was the spokesman with Barnabas who was mistakenly identified as Hermes, the spokesman of the gods. In addition, Paul had previously debated with the Athenians before coming to Corinth, so I don’t think it was speech. It is something that was not present before the vision in heaven but was given during or after that vision. It was something physical and humiliating that would not keep Paul from being able to carry out his duties. Paul was whipped a lot and otherwise hurt, so I don’t think it was anything dealing with physical appearance. Paul had great physical endurance, but that does not rule out a disease. I begin to understand why people chose sight since there is so much that it could not be. The SDA commentary is one of the sources that says it had something to do with Paul’s eyes. “The infirmity was bodily not spiritual or mental. It was apparently something prominent, which caused him considerable embarrassment, as well as discomfort and inconvenience. It was evidently some affliction that affected the eyes (Gal. 4:13-15;” “You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me” (Galatians 4:13-15). I wonder if it was migraines.
(Revelation of God) Paul does not say that his thorn was from God. He says that the thorn was a messenger of Satan. Paul says that he prayed to God to take this messenger away from him three times. He didn’t just say “Please, take it away.” Instead, he pleaded with God on three different occasions. God told him no. God told him that this weakness would keep him dependent upon God. He would have to depend upon God to overcome his problem.
(Application / Prayer) Paul says that all the bad things that have come to him are acceptable to him because in the bad things, he learned to depend on God for strength and in that dependence, he was stronger than in his own strength. My application for myself is that I need to look to You for strength in every trial, temptation, sickness, and weakness whether they are physical, mental, or spiritual. I pray to not be broken, but instead to let you heal me and make me strong. I pray to depend on You and trust You to provide the strength I need. I pray for faith that You will always give me sufficient strength and blessings for each day.