Pushing the Spirit, part 4

That’s the first part. Can you imagine Paul thinking this over in his heart when suddenly he is filled with awe as he realizes what God wants to do through him? And as Paul lies there meditating, the voice comes to him again. “I will be so close to your side; you shall have such revelation of My glory that the pain will be completely overlapped. Paul, the glory shall outstrip the eating thorn. You can trust My grace, it’s sufficient.”
 

Paul comes to one of his greatest revelations through this, and says, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” Paul’s prayer was answered, not necessarily in the manner he wanted it answered, but because he was a man of steel when it came to his will, the petition was denied so that the larger plan of service might be carried out through what the thorn taught Paul.
 

People of talent and giftings often have to deal with a thorn all their lives – simply to keep them in a place of dependency upon God. God is not bothered with the fact that Paul had this weakness in his flesh. If He had been that bothered by it, He would not have told Paul that it was better for him to keep the thorn. God was saying, “Paul, I’m not going to remove that thorn. You are going to die with that weakness and yet I will bring you into My heaven.” 
 

So, here’s the question I have for all of us. Can you see your present thorn – your current situation – as a necessity in your life for the sake of those around you… can I? When we get on our faces and cry out to God and say, “God I can’t take this anymore,” do you suppose that the reason it’s still there is because God’s plan for you is bigger than just you and your comfort. 

The Right Time has Not Yet Come!

Let’s compare Paul to the Son of God. John 7:1-9 “After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take His life. 2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to Him, ‘You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.’ 5 For even His own brothers did not believe in Him. 6 Therefore Jesus told them, ‘The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. 8 You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.’ 9 Having said this, He stayed in Galilee.” 
 

First of all, notice in verse 3, that Jesus is encouraged to go to Judea. Paul was discouraged from going to Jerusalem. Jesus responds by saying, “The right time for me has not yet come.” Paul basically said, “I’m going no matter what is going to happen to me.” Subsequently, there were a number of times when the Spirit of God had to step in and forbid Paul from doing what he wanted to do. In Jesus’ case, the Spirit can be much more gentle; because Jesus is completely submitted to the Will of God. He simply states it as it is; “…the right time for me has not yet come.” He is content with God’s Will. 

Continued tomorrow