the thorns story

choose your own language

Receive from the Lord in Prayer:

“Children, I love you because I love you. I suffered so much; I was crucified and taken away from the thorns. I lived in the flames of thorns and suffered with you. I suffered more when you were in pain. I was in tears when you cried, but in me, there was peace. I give you peace and joy, that you may be more than conquerors in this world.

No longer afraid of any suffering” — 2010.4.02

PS. To take away the thorns means to take away suffering and curses, to open the door of grace, so that people can go to God and enjoy peace and joy

After hearing the sharing of the truth, we often think of “getting” as grace and “giving up” or “not getting” as regret. Just like in prayer, we often ask the Lord to give us this and that, praying with great faith. In the end, if we do not receive a response from God, we feel frustrated.

Is our love for God and our faith just like this? Little do we know that true faith is about “giving up”. People often say that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. We look at Moses and see that he took a different path in his faith. He knew that getting was grace but also knew that “giving up” was even greater grace. So he chose to give up the royal life of wealth and honor and suffer with the people.

Imagine Moses’ state of mind during his forty years of loneliness in the wilderness. When he looked towards Egypt, did he regret it? If his love for the Lord was not so great and his love for his brothers was not so great, he would still be in the palace now. Because he was willing to suffer for Christ, he lost everything, and God did not comfort him. His brothers did not understand him either. Every day he drove sheep with a staff in the sun and wind. He must have had many feelings in his heart because he gave up everything for the Lord but ended up with nothing.

During those forty years, God did not speak to him at all. It was a lonely forty years. However, one day when he was eighty years old, God suddenly appeared to him in a burning bush. At first, Moses was curious about why the bush was burning but not being consumed by the fire. He wanted to go in and see what was going on. When he approached, God said, “Do not come any closer,” and he was startled.

God said, “Take off your sandals because the place where you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (see Exodus 3:2-6). What do you think Moses felt at that time? Why did God choose to appear to Moses in a burning bush? Where did the thorns come from?

In the beginning, when God created heaven and earth, He did not create thorns – thorns did not exist at that time. God wanted His people to share joy and peace with Him. In the Garden of Eden, it was a place without tears or pain and full of grace. But Adam sinned and hid from the Lord because he was afraid to see Him.

God knew that His child had sinned and was heartbroken, but He did not give up on His child and still sought His child out. God came back to find him and said, “Adam, where are you?” At that time, Adam may not have realized that he had made a mistake or that there would be any big problems, but God knew that this was the beginning of human suffering – this was also the beginning of God’s pain – but He could not bear to let go of His child, so He came back to find Adam.

He wanted to save him, but before saving him, He had to drive him out. If He did not drive Adam out of Eden, then Adam might eat from the tree of life, so He drove him out. He told Adam that thorns and thistles would grow from the ground. “You will live among them. You will suffer. You will sweat before you can eat.” When Adam walked out of Eden, his feet stepped on thorns, and it hurt – but God must have hurt too because before Adam was pricked by thorns, God had already moved into thorns one step ahead.

The Bible clearly records that our God suffers with His people because God lives in these thorns. Before God appeared to Moses, perhaps he always thought that only he himself suffered alone – thought that only he himself gave up royalty – thought that he paid the most – thought that he had been heartbroken for forty years. Now, God speaks to him from within a burning bush: “You are not wrong living in the wilderness. Don’t think that you live in the wilderness while I live in heaven. I live in a burning bush.”

Then God tells Moses, “I have seen my people’s suffering. I have heard their cries for help.” From this, we can know that our God is not enjoying glory in heaven but suffering with His people living in a burning bush because God lives in this bush and has never left His people (Isaiah 63:9: “In all their distress, He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy, He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”).

One day, when you encounter pain, don’t think that we are alone – don’t think that we are the only ones suffering – our God suffers with us. When you are persecuted for the truth, don’t be sad because your God is more painful than you because God has always been with you. Like when Joseph went down to prison, God was there. When Peter went down to prison, God was there. When Paul was in prison, God was there. He did not enjoy glory in heaven because He wanted and was willing to suffer with His people.

Have you ever thought about how far we are from God? Do we often imagine that our God is extremely glorious and rich? When we encounter difficulties, it seems like our suffering is His punishment! But it shouldn’t be like this. God will not punish us for no reason. If He didn’t want to save us, why did He drive Adam out of Eden and let thorns grow? It wasn’t for Adam to live in. He lived in it Himself.

In the burning bush, it was extremely painful. When God became flesh, what form did He show? From Adam’s sin to Christ’s coming, these thousands of years, He lived among thorns. When He was born, He was very haggard (Isaiah 52:14: “Just as there were many who were appalled at him — his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness”). He suffered more than we did, but no one imagined these things. They only thought about their own suffering and didn’t feel the Lord’s response, thinking that the Lord didn’t know.

(Isaiah 53:3-5: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.”)

Jesus was sinless. He came to bear our sins and wore a crown of thorns. We put all our sins on Jesus’ body. How great was that pain! He cried out in pain, asking why God had forsaken Him. In order to carry out the plan of salvation, Jesus became sin and had to pay the price for sin. He stepped on thorns and took them away. The thorns had to follow Jesus and leave this world. At that time, the sky no longer looked at Him, and the sun darkened. This was an extremely painful experience. In the end, He bowed His head, and it was finished. The thorns were pulled out and taken away.

Because of Jesus’ death for all people, there are no more thorns in this world. This new and living way has been opened by Jesus Christ. However, how can the road to heaven be a painful road? How can we possibly find thorns on this road? This road is a joyful and peaceful road because Jesus clearly told us that in me you have peace. Although there is pain in this world, a peaceful suffering is no longer suffering. Moreover, Jesus Christ has promised us that He will give us peace and joy.

Have we found these on our journey of faith? If we have not found joy and peace on our journey of faith, then what are we believing in? Why can’t we get what Jesus Christ promised us? Not only did we not get it, but we found thorns instead and were pricked all over our bodies. There must be something wrong. Have we failed God’s grace? Jesus once told His disciples that “I am going to prepare a place for you, and when I have prepared it, I will come back again.” He found a place of rest for us and prepared everything for us so that when we face difficulties, we will continue to overcome and have more than enough victory.

This new and living way has been opened – Jesus Christ has taken away the thorns – we do not need to be afraid anymore – there will be no more crying or mourning. If you doubt this grace, then you should reflect on whether our determination to act is not enough or whether our concept of faith needs to be corrected. When our steps become slower and slower – calm down – remember God’s words – pray – think about God’s love – think about the God who once lived in a burning bush suffering for His people.

When you feel pain, think about our Lord who bore the sins of all people and the pain He suffered. Ask yourself: do you have more pain than God? Then close your complaining heart and just thank the Lord for His love – thank Him for never letting us be alone – thank Him for always being with us.

May the Lord give us faith so that we may regain strength and walk steadily on His path. May all glory and praise be to our Father in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

How do I pray?

Kneel with humility

Close your eyes to concentrate.

Begin by saying, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray.”

Praise the Lord by saying, “Hallelujah!”

Spend time to speak with God from your heart and ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit.

Conclude your prayer with, “Amen.”