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This Thorny Anointing



Yesterday, as I was driving home from Atlanta with my younger son (he had a taekwondo tournament), I enjoyed listening to two of my favorite preachers: Jentzen Franklin and Steven Furtick.  Ever had a moment when God smacked you in the face with a revelation from not just one or two, but THREE messages? Pastor Furtick was talking about the "thorn in the flesh" experienced by Paul.  Pastor Franklin spoke on what to do when you're running on empty.  All of the messages stirred up my spirit and encouraged me in such a huge way.  Although I won't repeat what they said, I'd like to share the insights I received as a result of their obedience to sharing God's Word.

It is no secret to you at this point that I have been struggling. Let me be clear. I spoke about my weaknesses as a human being to shed light on a topic that Christians often feel they cannot discuss. I used to suffer in silence. Now, I name the attack for what it is so it can't have the same power over me that it once did. Never again do I plan to walk in the darkness as I did several years ago.  In order to repel the darkness, though, I have to shed light on it.  So understand, friend, that while I struggled, this time it was different.  I talked about it openly. I poured myself into the the Word. I named the attack (or thorn as Pastor Furtick would say) to prevent it from overtaking me. But I realized something. I might have given the thorn too much credit.  I might have spent too much time discussing what was wrong and neglecting to tell you the rest of the story.

The rest of the story is simply this: GRACE.  God's grace is sufficient for my thorny flesh.  The thorn isn't as important as the fact that God has given me everything I need for life and Godliness (2 Peter 1:3).  As if that isn't enough, he has anointed me with power to boldly proclaim His grace and goodness to the world.  Pastor Franklin shared the story of Samuel and the grief he experienced over the loss of Saul.  But God had already prepared a king in David, the son of Jesse, to be anointed and used of God. 

So, I've got thorns. You have them, too. It doesn't matter what they are.  What matters is we are anointed by God to do His good work while we walk forward with Him. Sometimes, the thorn hurts.  But God's grace is enough to carry us through the hurting.  God's anointing goes with us to give us power as we stand firm against the enemy. I can't boast about myself.  Everything I am today is by the grace of God and through the power of His anointing. 

I will, however, boast in my weakness.  Because when I am weak, Christ, the hope of glory, rises up within me in strength and carries me through the thorns. Thorns don't bother Christ my King because He wore a crown of them. He overcame the thorns that we face, and one day, I will gladly lay my crown at His feet because He is worthy of all honor and glory.  So, when I talk about the thorns, understand that I'm getting ready to see God move in my life. I embrace the thorns and the grace and anointing that accompany them.  

© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.

If you'd like to listen to a couple of the messages that encouraged me, please see the links below.


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