"Thorn"

We stood in line together,

To fill our plates with food,

A weathered, thin old cattleman,

Asked are you doing good?

I said, yessir, and how are you,

His eyes got quiet and still,

He said just sold the last of ‘em,

They’ll go to feed or kill.

Been in the cattle business,

Since I was a young man,

And through the years I’ve made it work,

And always had a plan.

But this year without the rain,

I fed ‘em every bite,

Just can’t keep on, I let ‘em go,

I guess I lost the fight.

I didn’t know just what to say,

As he turned on his heel,

The stockyard road is crowded,

With so many the same deal.

Lord, I pray the rain will come,

Before more have to sell,

And help us know Your grace is there,

Though sometimes hard to tell.

Not every thorn will be removed,

That’s how the Good Book reads,

But when it’s not Your grace will come,

And remedy our needs.

“My grace is sufficient for you…” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)

Paul wanted his thorn in the flesh removed. We don’t know exactly what it was, but we know He wanted God to take it away from him, But it didn’t happen. Instead, the Lord said He would give sufficient grace to meet Paul’s needs. Paul saw it as an opportunity for God’s strength to be make perfect in his weakness. All of us have challenges and would like for God to deliver us from them. And sometimes God comes with a miracle that changes everything! Praise God for that. But sometimes the miracle doesn’t change everything, it simply changes us. Either way, the grace will come.

Lord, help us to claim the grace You give, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Dane, dondane.com Used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.