Like all children, we meet the “lover daddy”, before we meet the “disciplinarian daddy”. Even in the faith, when we come anew, we’re smothered in love, and love that the flesh understands as love.

But as we grow past milk and start to chew on meat, we’re still smothered in love, but the love the flesh doesn’t understand as love; the father begins to discipline, rebuke and correct.

I was reading the portion of scripture that the popular words on grace comes from. The one we like to refer to ever so often when the weight gets so heavy; “my grace is sufficient for you…”. But before Paul tells us this response that God gave to the thorn in his flesh, he tells us that it was given to “keep him from becoming proud”, he admit it’s one not from God, but I’d say the working out for good was godly, because Satan actually wants us proud. Satan didn’t give Paul the thorn to stop him from becoming proud, it was heavens own silver-lining, one Paul’s flesh could not recognise as love.

As I read that, I had a prayer come to heart which I wrote down immediately; “Jesus thank you for catering to my soul before it had an opportunity to be nefarious. Thank you for seeing in advance and anchoring me in Yourself through and by all means, especially the ones most inconvenient to my flesh. You know this flesh more than I ever would, I submit to your own method of discipline for it, even when I don’t understand it, especially when I don’t understand.”

I love how scripture always inspires prayer. It’s why we can’t pray in alienation of scripture. The words of prayer must be the words of God, and that’s where we often miss it with prayer, we pray as we feel and as we need, but prayer was always meant to be a presentation of Gods word back to Himself as an evidence for our own sake… but I digress.

I think it’s so precious that God knows to protect us from ourselves, even before we realise we are hazards to our own self. Some of the trials and tribulations of this life, while not God-authored, can be God-used for our good and His glory.

If you’ve been pricked by a thorn before, you know how painful it can be, even if it is just that tiny thistle on the stem, Paul has it, whether literally or figuratively in his side for a long, long time. And Gods response to his plea to take it away is “my grace is all you need”.

That tells me that Gods grace works in spite of thorns. In spite of the trials and tribulations you’re currently in the middle of, Gods grace works still, and it’s important that we don’t allow the afflicted flesh to hinder the work of grace that’s designed to work in the midst of thorns.

Definitely easier said than done, but it is the word of the Lord, to which we say yes and amen!

I’m grateful today for the pains of this life that have preserved my soul. It comes at a cost to the inconvenience, hurt and discomfort of my flesh, but in spite, my soul is preserved.

It might not be there for you and I to stop us from becoming proud, but it is there to preserve a sanctity, a purity and an alignment of our souls, and when we don’t understand it, may we remember that the discipline of a father is not devoid of His love. They’re one and the same.