Day 24
"a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me"
2 Corinthians 12:7
My Prayer
Yahweh, my Heavenly Father, thank You for this scripture.Y I praise You for the power that is in it and thank You for what You will do through it (Isaiah 55:11). Please reveal its meaning to our minds (Psalm 119:18)...
Paul wrote:
- "By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively" (2 Corinthians 12:7).
I can see that a person could become arrogant if he was the only person in the world who had seen Paradise. I know that You had good reason for bringing Paul into that Heavenly place which is now invisible to the rest of us. I can see that Paul would receive great insight, faith and motivation from his trip to where no other living person had ever been.
But I can also see that he could have become arrogant. He could have become intolerant of the ignorance of all of mankind with regard to spiritual things. Arrogance would have harmed Paul's ministry and the progress of the Gospel. So, You sent the messenger of Satan to keep Paul humble.
You wrote:
- "By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. 8 Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:7).
The thorn in the flesh must have been some type of physical difficulty. I have seen for over fifty years how health issues have caused my wandering eyes to look up to You, to come into Your presence, to have my spiritual eyesight sharpened, to receive the power of Christ for the yoke You have given me.
It at first seems strange to me that You would send a messenger of Satan to do this. I see that the word messenger is a translation of the Greek word angelos, which means angel or messenger. So, this was an angel of Satan whom You sent, a fallen angel or, as otherwise called by some, a demon.
I find it ironic, just and actually humorous... that You force a demon to do work in Paul's life that makes Paul humble, that the "power of Christ" would rest on him, to improve his spiritual walk with You, so he can serve You better, to better spread the Gospel.
Do You use fallen angels in the lives of people other than Paul? I know that You allowed Satan to take away all of Job's wealth, family and health.3.1L You sent an evil Spirit to Saul after You rejected him as king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:14). You put a lying spirit in the mouths of the prophets of Ahab because of his tremendous wickedness.
So, You have shown us that You exercise control over demons, as You wish, to accomplish Your will. They have no choice but to comply. You are sovereign over the entire world, spiritual and physical, good and evil.
I know that You have a sense of humor... because You laugh at Your adversaries (Psalm 2:4). I see that You turn the hard work of fallen angels into blessing. You have made it truly miserable for the fallen angels. You take what they intend for evil and work it or good.
You have written:
- "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
So, my Lord, I see this from Your word: No matter what Satan and his demons do... no matter how evil a government becomes... I can't lose... and they can't win!
Praise to Your name!
In this passage, 2 Corinthians 12:7, You revealed that even the fallen angels must follow Your command, to work Your will, for our benefit! Thank you for revealing this in Your word! For, how can we walk by the Spirit, if we don't understand spiritual authority in the spiritual realm?
Heavenly Father, teach those who read here what You have revealed about the unseen, spiritual realm. By Your Spirit, lead Your children to click this link: "Spiritual Authority in the Spiritual Realm"
You deserve all praise!
Amen.
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