Introduction: The Thorn We Wish God Would Remove
There’s a passage in Paul’s writings that I’ve always found strangely comforting.
Not because it’s easy.
Because it’s honest.
Paul—the missionary, theologian, church planter, and one of the spiritual giants of the New Testament—admits that there was something in his life he desperately wanted God to remove.
He called it:
“a thorn in my flesh.”
—2 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV)
And not just a minor irritation.
This thing bothered him enough that he repeatedly asked God to take it away.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.”
—2 Corinthians 12:8 (NIV)
But God said no.
Or maybe more accurately:
Not this way.
The Mystery of the Thorn
I’ve always wondered what Paul meant.
Scripture never tells us.
Some believe Paul struggled with poor eyesight or an eye disease.
Others think he may have had difficulty speaking or some physical weakness that made him less impressive in person.
Some think it may have been constant persecution and opposition.
And honestly, I’ve wondered whether part of it might have had something to do with pride.
Paul openly described his former life as a Pharisee:
“If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more…”
—Philippians 3:4–6 (NIV)
He had status.
Education.
Heritage.
Achievement.
If I’m honest, that one hits close to home.
Because pride is something I’ve had to wrestle with during my own walk with Christ.
But ultimately…
I don’t think it matters what Paul’s thorn actually was.
Because if it mattered, Paul probably would have told us.
Maybe the Vagueness Was the Point
I sometimes wonder whether Paul intentionally left the thorn unnamed because he knew each person reading his words would bring their own.
Different struggles.
Different weaknesses.
Different recurring failures.
Different wounds.
Different things that trip us up.
Our thorns may not look alike.
But all of us have them.
And Paul’s message wasn’t:
“Here is my problem.”
His message was:
“Here is God’s response.”
Grace Greater Than the Thorn
God answered Paul this way:
That’s remarkable.
God did not first promise explanation.
Or immediate removal.
He promised grace.
Enough grace.
Sufficient grace.
The kind of grace that covers not only what we’ve done—but who we are.
Because nothing surprises God.
Nothing we’ve done.
Nothing we’ve said.
Nothing we’ve thought.
And nothing we ever will.
God already knew all of it—and the cross already took care of the punishment we deserve.
The Part I Still Don’t Understand
If I’m honest, there are things I still don’t understand.
I don’t understand how sometimes I can feel so close to God—so grounded in faith, so aware of His presence…
…and then moments later find myself tripped up by sin.
Sometimes by something new.
Sometimes by the same old patterns.
The same thorn.
Again.
I don’t understand why I continue to be haunted by those same thorns, despite me asking God many times to take them away, or at least protect me from them so I no longer feel tempted by them. While He has helped me do better, He hasn’t taken them away from me completely. That makes no sense to me.
I also don’t understand how the Father could love us so much that He would willingly sacrifice His Son to absorb the punishment we deserve for our thorns, for our sins, old and new.
I don’t fully understand God’s boundless grace.
But understanding it isn’t the point.
Receiving it is.
Turning Toward God Instead of Away
Because what matters most is not whether we understand grace perfectly.
What matters is whether we trust it enough to turn toward God when we fail instead of away from Him.
That’s often our instinct, isn’t it?
Hide.
Retreat.
Withdraw.
Adam and Eve did it.
I do it.
Maybe you do too.
But grace invites us in the opposite direction.
Toward God.
Not away.
Nothing Can Separate Us
Paul later wrote these words:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God…”
—Romans 8:38–39 (NIV)
Nothing.
Not our failures.
Not our patterns.
Not our thorns.
Not even us.
A Final Encouragement
I’m deeply grateful that God’s grace is sufficient.
Because I need it.
Daily.
Hourly sometimes.
I’m grateful that Jesus already paid the debt my thorns created.
And I’m grateful that when I stumble, God does not look at me and say:
“Again?”
He says:
“Come closer.”
Because His grace really is enough.
And I’m so grateful for that.
How about you?
A Question to Sit With
What thorn in my life have I been asking God to remove…
and what if He is inviting me to discover His grace there instead?
Master's Canvas - Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter 