Author Mallary Mitchell

^{II Corinthians 12:6-8}

 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

 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.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

Paul spoke about his thorn in the flesh. I’ve heard it speculated that perhaps it was poor eyesight, or maybe some disease, maybe he had an affliction of some sort. Yet in this passage Paul states this thorn in the flesh was a messenger of satan. So was Paul under constant attack from malevolent forces? Perhaps the answer here is all of the above.

Paul however buffeted always stayed true. He was in an earthquake, and he ministered to a guard. He was thrown in jail and he prayed. He was persecuted, threatened, snake bitten, lied about, talked about, tormented by this thorn in the flesh, and still he wrote in Phillippians 4:11, that he had learned to content, no matter what.

So even though he dealt with all these things, Paul kept his eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.