Introduction : An old proverb says, "A thirsty person digs a well." People look for food when they are hungry. The person who feels cold looks for warm clothes and a warm place to stay. The reason many cold countries have become an advanced country and many warm countries with a mild climate have become poor is because these cold countries have made desperate efforts to overcome their environment, but the warm and blessed countries have naturally become lazy. The same thing happens in our life of faith. The more often people face trouble, the more often people seek God and have stronger faith by relying on Him to overcome such suffering. However, a comfortable life makes us rely on ourselves, our mind becomes lazy, and we do not seek the Lord as earnestly.


1. Jesus´ death on the Cross and resurrection
    1) Jesus fought desperately against death.
        (1) He prayed and His sweat was like drops of blood at Gethsemane - A mental
             conflict between the heart of averting a cup of death and the heart of obeying              God. (Lk 22:42-44; Heb 5:7-9).
        (2) The suffering on the Cross
             He had a mental conflict - whether to call more than twelve legions of angels
             to help Him during the scornful laughing of enemies and suffering in spirit and
             body - or to redeem humankind and bear great suffering (Mt 26:53-54).
    2) The Lord chose to accept great suffering and death and open the way of life for
        humankind - Truly, He gave birth to life out of death
        (Mk 15:31-32; Jn 10:11,17; Heb 2:10).
    3) The resurrection of the Lord is a victory of eternal life (Mk 10:45; Jn 12:24).

2. Why Paul?
    1) He carried suffering and death to give birth to life (2Co 12:7).
        (1) He had been given miserable suffering to light up the Gospel in a thornbush of
             arrogance (Eph 3:7-8).
        (2) Paul risked his life to seek God, due to his physical suffering, and he became
             a spiritual man (2Co 12:9-10; 1Co 15:9-10).
    2) Face more suffering to save more lives (2Co 4:10-12; 11:23-27; 1:8-10).

3. A thornbush on fire
    1) All descendents of Adam were born in a thornbush of greed and avarice
        (Jas 1:15; Ps 7:14).
    2) We always think about our own pleasure and happiness and also attempt to take
        advantage of God for our successful life (2Ti 3:4; Isa 59:4).
    3) We must be oppressed by great and small suffering in order to light up the fire of
        salvation in a thornbush (Ps 9:13; 13:3; Isa 38:17; Jas 5:16).
    4) A flame of fire will blossom when our physical body and our environment face
        death, because people earnestly seek for God during the time of suffering
        (Hos 5:15; Ps 50:15; 119:71, 67).


Conclusion : Since we are living in a thornbush of greed, we must experience strong physical suffering to keep the fire of faith pure. Then we can repent of our sins and have strong faith, relying on the Lord in a thornbush of greed and avarice. The more we suffer from death and pain, the more we earnestly seek the Lord of life to overcome that environment and save our life and others through His grace.