THE THORN
2 Corinthians 12:7–10

Paul called his thorn in the flesh “a messenger of Satan.” Whatever form that messenger took, its purpose was hostile. Satan intended it to buffet Paul—to strike at him repeatedly, to weaken him, and, if possible, to diminish his effectiveness. And Paul certainly had a past that an accuser could use. “You can’t believe this man. He was there when Stephen was killed. He persecuted Christians. He entered houses and dragged believers away. He tried to destroy the very faith he now preaches.”

Many of us are hoping a voice from our past doesn’t show up today.

We know what we were. We remember things we wish we could forget. And sometimes the enemy does not need to invent an accusation; he simply rehearses a history that is painfully true. But the Gospel does not deny Paul’s past. It declares that Paul’s past no longer defines his present.

The man who once persecuted the Church became an apostle of Jesus Christ—not because his past wasn’t real, but because grace was greater than his past. Perhaps that is why Christ’s answer to Paul is so powerful: “My grace is sufficient for you.”

When the accuser brings up who you were, you don’t have to pretend it never happened. You point to grace.

Your past may explain where you’ve been, but grace declares who you are now. ©

–PGR