Paul had an ailment. He called it a “thorn in his flesh”.
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Paul discussing his illness with God, 2 Corinthians l, 12:7-9, ESV
Paul’s ailment clearly bothered him. It bothered him enough that he repeatedly asked God to heal it. But, God said “no”. Sometimes “no” is God’s answer to our prayers. It can even be the answer given to the greatest leaders of the church, leaders like Paul. If anyone ever deserved……earned…..an answered prayer, it was Paul. But, God denied Paul’s prayer…….over and over. And Paul accepted God’s answer…….and he was content.
How often does God answer a sincere, honest, perhaps desperate, prayer from you…….with “no”. God says “no” and we ask “why”? At best we decide that we don’t understand, and we trust God. At worst we lash out at God. We may even reject God altogether. Have you ever heard something like this, “I refuse to accept a God who would let my child die.” It happens every day. God says “no” and we try to punish him by rejecting him.
Back to Paul and his “thorn”. Instead of healing him, God sent Paul a physician. This physican became a close friend and traveling companion of Paul in addition to being his personal doctor. In return, Paul was likely a mentor in the faith for the physician.
The physician’s name was Luke.
Yes, that Luke.
A decade or so after Paul’s death, Luke wrote two books, “The Gospel, according to Luke” and “Acts of the Apostles”.
Together, Paul and Luke wrote over half of the New Testament. This happened because of a friendship and collaboration that grew out of God’s refusal to heal Paul. God had a better idea. Perhaps, God knew what he was doing after all.
The moral of the story is this:
God is working out his plan…….not ours. We cannot see the whole plan. We cannot expect that everything that God does will make sense to us. We cannot expect that everything that God does will satisfy our short term needs and appetites. What we can expect is that God loves us and is building something fabulous for those who accept him, honor him and love him.
We must be like Paul. We must trust God and be content.
The Bible is full of answered prayers. Elijah prayed for drought and it didn’t rain for 3 1/2 years. Then he prayed for rain…….and it rained. We love the answered prayers on the Bible. They give us confidence. There are precious few unanswered prayers in the Bible. But, those unanswered prayers are the most important prayers in the Bible.
I believe that the most important prayer in the Bible was unanswered. It was Jesus’s prayer, in Gethsemane, that he be excused from the crucifixion. He repeated it three times……just like Paul. In the Bible, repetition means “PAY ATTENTION…..THIS IS IMPORTANT”. And God was silent. By his silence, God said no to the prayer of his son.
Think that through:
If God had answered the repeated prayer of Jesus…..there would be no crucifixion.
No crucifixion……..no resurrection
No resurrection……..no reconciliation
No reconciliation……..no forgiveness of sin
No forgiveness of sin………means that we are all doomed.
The simple reality of the denial, by God, of his son’s prayer, is this:
The only reason that I have the hope of paradise……….is that God said NO…….to another guy’s prayer.
Something to ponder……the next time God says no to you.
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus……the greatest unanswered prayer……ever,
Matthew 26:39, ESV