“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.”-2 Corinthians 12:7
Paul was used mightily by God to do unusual miracles, and although the letters that he wrote doesn’t bring a lot of attention to that fact, it is noted in scripture. Paul believed in miracles and operated in them. (Acts 19:11-12) But because of the above passage regarding the thorn in the flesh, many people believe that Paul was sick and delighted in being sick. And so justifiably, we can be sick because not everyone is healed.
It is true that Paul had a thorn in the flesh, but it was not sickness. As a matter of fact, Paul tells us that the thorn was a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. (Rick Renner does a fantastic job of explaining this in his “Sparkling Gems”.) Yet, even with this evidence, (Paul’s own words), many still thinks he is talking about sickness.
“know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.” – Joshua 23:13
“Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’”-Judges 2:3
The above scriptures are witness to the truth that “thorn in the flesh” is a phrase used to denote something that will plague you in life. Paul, as a New Testament believer correctly places the blame for it at the feet of the enemy. Paul was letting his readers know that the devil was in hot pursuit of him because of the revelations that God had given to him and was relentlessly pulling out all the tricks to stop him. I don’t have space to even get into what it means to be buffeted.
We would be hard pressed to go to a service and find that everyone is walking in health. People are being attacked with cancer, pain, arthritis, and so many other things. Thank God for the doctors, but why be turned off from going to God for healing. He said He is the God that heals!
When the children of Israel came out of bondage, scripture tells us that there was not one sick among them. The God that kept them whole is the same today. Did He do for them what He will not be willing to do for us? God forbid! I encourage you to not let tradition or wrong thinking keep you from pursuing your healing. Reach out in faith and begin to seek Him to be whole. Wonderful Jesu!
Wonderful Jesus! 