In my last post, I told you about my precious Grandmama and her roses. But I left out one of my favorite parts of her story. As I stated before, she loved to grow roses. She kept about 75 rose bushes of many different varieties. They were beautiful and people from all around wanted Sally’s roses. But she never sold them. She always gave them away. Buckets and buckets of free roses to anyone who had a need or had the nerve to simply ask. But she went even further than that. She not only gave them away, she spent hours removing the thorns from each and every one. She would rather risk the prick of the thorn herself, than have someone have the pain. And that has always reminded me a lot of my Jesus.
We find from Genesis 3:18 and Numbers 33:55 that in the Holy Land, the ground was cursed with prickly weeds or thorns. Often, we become aware of thorns along our own path. These may be “thorns of the flesh” like Paul had:
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. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12: 7-9
Do you have thorns to deal with right now? We all will at one point or another in our spiritual journeys. These can be a constant source of irritation or temptation or pain. As Paul discovered when he asked for his “thorn” to be removed, God is enough. God’s power is made perfect in our weak, thorny spots.
What are we supposed to do with these thorns? Turn to Jesus. He took the curse of thorns on Himself when he allowed the crown of thorns on His holy head. And when the curse is gone, the healing can begin.
We may also find that those thorns are attached to roses.
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, bloom within my heart;
Beauties of Thy truth and holiness impart,
That where’er I go my life may shed abroad
Fragrance of the knowledge of the love of God.
Let’s praise Him today for wearing a crown of thorns so that we may wear a crown of righteousness.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15
