Splinters, thorns, prickers. It doesn’t matter what they are called, they hurt and get under your skin! Life in our world is filled with thorns: difficult relationships, illness, loss of loved ones, broken promises. The Bible tells us that even the Apostle Paul and God Himself in Jesus struggled under the bite of thorns. But God does not allow thorns in our lives without providing sufficient grace to live in the prickly mess. What Satan intends to push us down often results in pushing us to our knees in front of God’s throne instead. 

“You who wore my thorns that I may know Your grace…pierced by my sin that I may see Your face…loved and forgiven from shame and deep disgrace. You wore my thorns. You wore my thorns.” (from Jill’s poem “You Wore My Thorns” copyright 2003)