a thorny problem
(or, the
burning bush?!)
2Cor.12 - 7
And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn
was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from
being too elated. 8 Three times I besought the Lord about this, that
it should leave me; 9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly
boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10
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.
Does God use our weaknesses to
better us? Think on that! It almost seems like a self-defeating
solution! as we get better, the agent of
change is removed, the very thing that is improving one?! The solution to this conundrum is likely the
endless supply of said helps?
So, should we run aground,
shipwrecked, violating Paul’s strong, stinging rebuttal of Rom.6.2, “God forbid!” Do not miss the point and abuse His patience
that is meant to lead to repentance.
But, neither, let the Accuser push you away from the Cross.
The Cross! our deepest low – His greatest victory – and,
for us! “crucify him, crucify him…” we cried, with anger, and spite, and
blindness. But, in that blessed Cross,
when all Hell rejoiced (three days too early) God pulled off the ultimate “Sting”
cheating Death and Sin of their power over man.
God used our greatest sin to bring our greatest hope – “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on
our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
(2Cor.5.21)
In James 1, it is written, “2 Consider it pure joy, my
brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” Similarly, Tertullian in 197 A.D. , wrote
that the "the blood of the martyrs
is the seed of the Church" (Apologeticus, Ch. 50). Surely, God can use all things to bring about
the good. (Rom.8.28) Whatever Hell has to offer can be used by Heaven to hone, help, heighten,
honor His own!
But,
what of our own weaknesses?! Is it
heresy to suggest that God allows our problems, our weaknesses, our sins, to
help us? I tread lightly here. Sin is the enemy. Death is its reward. But, does He, can He, will He, somehow take
my pitiful, pathetic, feeble failing of following, and turn it into something glorious??
“God, have mercy on me, the sinner!”
To Him be all the glory and honor!
Visualize
the brightness of the full moon breaking through the clouds on a dark
night! The light will hurt your
eyes. All around is lit up like the light of noonday. Even so, the ugliness and
darkness of sin is seen clearly when the beauty of Heaven, of God, of holiness,
of love, breaks through the darkness.
The danger is that one will fall into a pit stumbling in the
darkness. And, one may not like the
brightness of the light, once accustomed to the damp darkness. But, likely the prodigal never wanted a ham
sandwich? He could not get the smell out
of his nostrils! And, as bright as the
moon is, it is nothing compared to a summer day in full sunlight! The darkness of winter is most despised. The warmth of summer is desired and
appreciated.
Somewhere
between a foolish, solomonic “ecclesiastes experiment” in self-indulgence that
ends, hopefully, in recognition of the wisdom of fearing God -- between that,
and a pharisaical fence-building approach to the law, one must remember the warning of the Proverbs 6,
27 Can a man carry fire in
his bosom
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk upon hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk upon hot coals
and his feet not be scorched?
Of course, the
burns and scars will be painful and ugly.
At worst, the fires of Hell will be ignited; at best, God will use it to
burn the sin out of one’s heart. Surely
fire prevention is best. But,
back-burning can be used to control wild fires?! And, cauterization is a necessary medical
procedure, at times. But, that is no
call to be playing with matches, though!
