Dear Child,

 Can’t you see and understand with your heart that when you are admitting your weaknesses in trials and testings, you are humbling yourself. When you humble yourself before Me, My grace is available to you. That is how My strength is made perfect in weakness. So, child, glory in that weakness and need of Me, that My power may rest upon you.

Thus saith Papa

2Cor.12: 7-9…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

“Paul recognizes not merely God’s strength but also his own weakness. Countless saints have been carried through trial and testings by means of this revelation of God to Paul. Oh, if we ourselves only knew how weak we are! For as soon as the weakness leaves us, POWER likewise departs! But what we go through perfects the words we utter. As we then rise up and admitting our own weaknesses, speak words that are tempered through trial, our brothers and sisters, themselves under testing, are given by God the grace and the strength to carry them through also.” Watchman Nee

Hebrews 2:18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

 “The thorns Christ wore for us, with which He was crowned, sanctify and make easy all the thorns in the flesh we may at any time be afflicted with. Temptations and trials are most grievous thorns; they are messengers of Satan to buffet us. The design was to keep Paul humble. Paul gloried in his infirmities… this does not mean sinful infirmities (those we have reason to be ashamed of and grieved at) but he means his afflictions, his reproaches, persecutions and distresses for Christ’s sake. These were opportunities for Christ to manifest His power and sufficiency of His grace upon Paul.” Henry Matthew Commentary 

The Lord not only took upon Himself my sin and bore my sickness, He also wore my thorns! Surely those thorns were a part of our Lord humbling Himself even to His death on the cross! After Adam’s fall the earth was cursed with thorns and when the Lord Jesus wore that crown of thorns He was actually bearing the curse of the sins of the world.

Phil 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Even as a beautiful rose is displayed on the branches bearing thorns, even so the beautiful love of our savior is displayed beneath a crown of thorns.

The beauty of our lives is displayed when buffeted by those thorns of the flesh!

Those thorns buffet us to shine because they humble us in our weakness that His grace may shine through us. 

CHALLENGE: Pray this prayer “Dear Father, Help me by your power to truly digest this truth, that you may be glorified in my life. That others will not see me, but rather your grace and power manifested. That your glory will shine through the cracks of my brokeness.”