THE LORD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS!
Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness."
(2 Corinthians 12:7-9a) Taken from "THE MESSAGE" New Testament Bible
In the passage above I used a contemporary version of the Scripture in order to emphasize the unusual way God dealt with Paul to accomplish HIS goals. God had recently blessed Paul to view the magnificence of Heaven to the extent that Paul was at his highest point in life. He could not feel any better about his life in Christ. But right after that, God gave Paul a thorn in the flesh. And on top of that, God sent Satan to deliver the thorn. The thorn was so debilitating that Paul immediately began to pray to God that He would remove it. But God would not remove it. He told Paul that His "Grace would be all that was necessary to keep him during his difficulty."
The Lord works in mysterious ways. First God made Paul so happy. Then God sent Satan to make Paul uncomfortable with a substantial handicap. Then Paul ask God to make him comfortable again by removing the handicap. But God told him that the handicap had a useful purpose and He would not remove it. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
What are thorns? Thorns are the Christian's tribulations. A thorn might be a "physical ailment." Or it could be a "constant temptation" that a person cannot overcome. Or perhaps it may be a "relationship" that is a source of irritation and suffering. Sometimes the thorn is visible to others, and sometimes only you and God know about it. If you have been on the battle field for the Lord for a substantial amount of time, you probably have a thorn. Of course, I am not talking about every difficulty that comes your way as if it were a thorn in the flesh. But God allows your thorn with the purpose of keeping you humble; and dependant upon HIM.
We must also realize that God did not answer Paul's prayer the way Paul asked God to respond. Sometimes God tells us no. We should understand that God is Sovereign and does not have to do what we tell Him to. He is a gracious God; He is a merciful God; but He reserves the right to say "no" to our request.
Finally, we are told that Paul's handicap was really a gift. Have you ever looked at your handicaps as gifts? God can use those handicaps to show His Strength in your life. Therefore the handicap from God can be a gift that will achieve great things for the Kingdom. Of course my thorns are not real pleasant to have sometimes, but I still rejoice, because I know God is at work doing great things through me. Its true, THE LORD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS!