We have all had things that we wished would happen, things we have desperately prayed for, and then it never comes to be. It seems that the Lord wasn’t going to answer that prayer, even though it was not a desire for anything sinful or shameful. This might leave us puzzled, hurt, and perhaps even a bit angry. We wonder why God won’t answer this prayer. After all, we weren’t praying for someone to get sick or die, we weren’t praying to win a huge lottery, or even a little one. In our Scripture passage today, we read of a time when the Apostle Paul had something very important to him that he prayed about, but did not receive the answer he was looking for. Let’s look at the circumstances of his prayer request, and what the Lord did answer for Paul.
As the Apostle Paul began this passage, he described a specific event that happened to himself. Out of humility, though, he described it in the third person, as if he were talking about someone else. In the event, this person, (which we know is Paul), was caught up into the third heaven where he saw things so wonderful and amazing he couldn’t even begin to describe them (vs. 2-4). What is the third heaven? The first heaven would be referring to the earth’s atmosphere, the air we breathe, the clouds, etc. The second heaven is outer space, where planets, stars, comets, etc. are. When Paul refers to the third heaven, he is speaking of the realm where God dwells.
Paul was not exactly sure if he actually went to heaven, or whether this was just a vision that he had. Also, Bible scholars today are not exactly sure when this happened. Some say that it might have occurred when Paul was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19-20). The reason that Paul brought this up in his letter to the Corinthians was that there was a faction of people there, and in other churches, who felt that he was too unassuming, unassertive, and meek, that he was basically a nobody. They wanted somebody who seemed to be somebody. Paul didn’t want to boast about himself, bragging about his resume and experiences, but if he had to he would share some things (vs. 5-6). Paul wanted the Corinthians to judge him based on their observations of his ministry, not on his visions.
He continues on by sharing about an affliction that he had, and what the Lord taught him through that. Paul knew the reason for his adversity was to keep him humble (vs. 7). Due to his many revelations he could not afford to become prideful. Paul’s affliction would remind him of how dependent he was on God. Again, the apostle does not give us too many details, and we do not know exactly what this “thorn in the flesh” was. People have pondered whether it was some specific temptation sent from Satan, or the severe opposition from his adversaries. Many people have felt it was some recurring physical affliction or intense bodily pain, either brought on from all he had been through. Whatever this was, Paul had spent three very specific times in earnest prayer to the Lord that He would remove or relieve him from this “thorn” (vs. 8). However, this prayer was not granted.
Although God did not remove Paul’s affliction, He promised to demonstrate His power in and through Paul (vs. 9-10). God allows us to have “thorns in the flesh” for us to use them as inspiration to look to Him. We can’t beat them with our own strength. The only thing we can do is turn to God and ask Him for help. He may not remove them, but God will strengthen our relationship with Him while we deal with them.
Being a Christian does not mean that we will have no problems in life. It does not mean that we will never have sickness, accidents, face indifference, injustices, or death. The difference is that we will not be alone when hardships come on us. God will see us through the challenges we face. It is not always God’s will that we be healed. It is not always His plan to relieve the pressure. Our happiness is not God’s chief aim. God’s answer to our prayers is based on His long-range plan, not our immediate relief. Even in the most trying circumstances, we can give thanks to God because in these situations we discover how close God really is to help us through them.
When it seems God is saying “no” to something, He may be saying “yes” to something else. Sometimes we do not receive what we pray for because we are not ready for it. God’s answer might be “yes, but not now.” Other times God says “no” because what we are praying for is not in line with His will and what is best for us. Lastly, what seems like a “no” answer may be because God may have something else in mind for us.
Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness. That is when we must count on God’s provisions. Grace is constantly available for the believer. The Lord’s loving-kindness is more than sufficient to help us when we are at our weakest.
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