Thorns

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

- Romans 8:28

I had a special relationship with my grandfather on my mom’s side. One of our favorite activities to do together was fruit picking. While he took me for cherries and strawberries on occasion, our most favorite were raspberries. He and I spent many happy summer days, wading through undergrowth that I wouldn’t even consider stepping into now.

He taught me many things about raspberry picking during that time. The best locations for finding wild berries. How to loop the handle of my bucket through a belt so that my hands were both free for picking. But most important of all, he taught me how to react to being pricked by the thorns.

Because of the shape of the thorns and the direction that they grow, jerking your hand free is the worst possible thing to do when you’re jagged. If you pull back, the thorns dig in and cause deeper scratches.

It is counterintuitive, but you have to push your hand toward the thorns.

Isn’t it beautiful symbolism? Our natural reaction is to pull back from pain. To avoid it at all costs. But Scripture tells us that God is working good out of even our most difficult and painful experiences. If only we will push forward through the pain, leaning toward God and others to give us support as we go, we ultimately find that even the worst of things can be made good.

Consider:

What difficulties are you facing in your life right now? How might God be working good through the thorns? What comfort do you have in knowing that God will work even these things for good?

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