A Healthy Unhealth: Grace in the Thorn
Sometimes clarity comes not in spite of the crack—but through it.
📚 Devotional Credit:
Excerpt from In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
📷 Photo Credit:
Unsplash
Today’s reflection from E. Stanley Jones dives into Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”—not as a punishment or a failure of faith, but as a gracious safeguard against spiritual pride. Jones helps us see that Paul’s physical weakness (most likely a serious eye condition according to Jones) wasn’t a barrier to fruitful ministry—it was an invitation into a deeper fellowship with Christ and a guardrail that kept him centered in the message of grace, not mysticism.
Paul’s ailment became the soil for increased insight. The vision he received from the Lord didn’t propel him into superiority or self-promotion. Instead, it left him with a physical reminder that the Christian life is not about extraordinary signs and wonders but about an extraordinary Savior expressing His life through ordinary vessels—even weakened ones.
There’s wisdom here for our generation too. In an age of spectacle and performance, we’re reminded that being in Christ does not require supernatural experiences or constant revelations. Rather, it means allowing His life to shape ours moment by moment—through humility, growing love, and grace-infused character.
Paul’s thorn was not a detour but a divine provision. It redirected his focus from the glory of a private vision to the glory of a crucified and risen Christ. In that weakness, Christ’s strength didn’t just assist—it rested on him. And in that resting, Paul was not diminished—he was made radiant.
📓 Journal Entry — Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture:
My beloved, when I permit discomfort to remain, it is never punishment—it is preparation. You are not forgotten when healing delays. You are being fitted for something eternal. I do not measure your fruitfulness by your physical capacity but by your surrender.
Paul pleaded for the thorn to be removed, and I answered with My grace. So too, My grace surrounds you now—more than enough, perfectly tailored, entirely sufficient. Your weakness is not your enemy. It is the very place where My power settles, dwells, and radiates.
I do not require your strength; I ask for your yieldedness. Let go of the need to prove, to appear, to control. Even when you cannot see clearly, I will give you insight. Even when you feel unwell, I am well within you.
There are no accidents in My hands—only invitations. I use even what humbles you to anchor you in My love. Let your affliction be a window through which My glory shines.
You are in Me, and I am in you. And in that union, your limitations become places of Light.
(Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10; Galatians 4:13–15; Philippians 3:10; Romans 8:18–21; Isaiah 55:8–9; Romans 5:3–5; 2 Corinthians 4:7–10; John 15:4–5; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6–14)
🪞 Real-Life Analogy:
Like a pair of glasses with a slight scratch on the lens, Paul’s thorn didn’t blind him—but it did keep him from seeing only himself. Every time he looked through that scratch, he was reminded to look up.
When our days are marked by fatigue, discomfort, or weakness, we don’t need to force ourselves into performance. We can quietly turn our gaze toward Christ within, trusting Him to express His compassion, patience, or courage through us—right in the middle of limitation.
You might feel overwhelmed as you answer a difficult email, walk into a strained meeting, or rise to care for someone while battling your own symptoms. Instead of pushing through in self-effort, take a breath and trust: “Lord, I yield this moment to You. Be in me what I cannot be in myself.” He will. Most assuredly.
🙏 Prayer of Confidence:
Father, I thank You that I am not disqualified by my limitations. You have already made provision for every moment—whether I feel strong or weak. I rest in the sufficiency of Your grace, knowing You delight to express Christ’s life through me, especially in the moments I cannot depend on myself. Today, I walk with You—not trying to erase the thorn, but embracing the glory of Your presence in it. What You permit, You redeem. And in this, I rejoice.