An Idea Borrowed

Years ago on a radio program someone shared that they read a chapter in Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters and the longest month has 31 days it allows you to read through Proverbs on a regular basis. I use it as the launch pad for my personal worship time and branch out from there. On this blog I will try to share some of the insights I have in the Word. I will try to organize them in the archive by reference.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Choice Thorn

(Proverbs 26:9 KJV)  As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

This brought to my mind another passage about a thorn.
(2 Corinthians 12:7 KJV)  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Both Paul and Solomon seem to agree that a thorn is unpleasant.  One relates the thorn to a fool, the other to a saint.  We respond like one or the other. 

God expects us to take the thorns of life and use them to grow.  There are tremendous lessons to be learned through struggle.  Many would agree with the idea that we tend to grow more in the hard times than we do in prosperity and ease.  It is all in how we respond.

The fool learns nothing from great wisdom or painful experience.  If we have the right foundation and the right daily bread we can avoid being a fool.  If we started out wrong, we can stop being a fool.

So?  Start paying attention.  Do an attitude check.  Make use of the thorns of life.

2 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

I ought to be getting a whole lot wiser soon, I've sure gotten stuck enough lately!

Pumice said...

But think how much more you know than you did thirty years ago.

Grace and peace.