Skip to main content

His grace is sufficient

"His grace is sufficient" The Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh. It was given to him. A messenger of Satan. To harass him. To keep him from being too elated. He pleaded over and over and over again to the Lord to take it away...2 Corinthians 12:1-10

But God's answer to him was:
 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:9-10.

I have had a year and half to think about this verse. 

In an interesting article by John Piper "Power in Weakness" he explores the meaning of the word weakness in this verse. Insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities." These are circumstances and situations and experiences and wounds that make us look weak: things we would probably get rid of if we had the human strength."


This trial was given to me. I had no part in it. The actions of a distracted driver on a routine drive to work changed my life forever. There is no way I can even plead for God to take away this "thorn" of loss. Julius is never coming back. Life is NEVER going to be same. It is only going to get worse in terms of loneliness. Time does not heal. It has not healed anything for me. The loss is sometimes greater - and yet His grace is sufficient.

Sufficient for what Lord?
Sufficient to wake up in the morning - no actually to go to bed at night and to sleep.

So what is the purpose of this weakness? Why did this have to happen? Believe it or not I still ask that question. Would it have ruined "some vast eternal plan" as Topol sang in Fiddler on the Roof if Julius and I were given some more years together?

Looking at the Apostle Paul's response: The trial was evil and yet it was given to him for a purpose. "Paul was in danger of pride and self-exaltation and God took steps to keep him humble." "God thinks humility is more important than comfort." Piper.

The other purpose of this trial says Paul is to display the all sufficient grace and perfect power of Jesus. Paul is able to say that he is content with insults hardships persecutions and calamities.

Content? Loved one are you revolting against the thorn you have? God is not only asking you to accept it but to actually be content in it.

Will you like the Apostle Paul be willing to allow God to use you as a vessel to display God's perfect power. 

Daily I get to see how sufficient this grace is. A year and a half later, here I am in even more pain but pressing on only because His grace is sufficient. It has to be - because I could not do this on my own.

"The deepest need that you and I have in weakness and adversity is not quick relief, but the well-grounded confidence that what is happening to us is part of the greatest purpose of God in the universe." Piper

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Joy comes with the morning." Psalm 30

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" Three days after Julius went home to the Lord, God had given me a promise. He had spoken to me from Psalm 77. Just like He had moved the nation of Israel, He was going to make a way through the deep waters of suffering that I was in. A way that I could not see, a way that I had to trust. I had to make a choice to move forward and believe that the waters would not drown me. (Is 43:2).  I had to believe Him. It is one year and 9 months and there are days even now when the waters seem to overwhelm and there are days when I see a glimpse of the path ahead. Through the prophet Isaiah He says: 'Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
5 comments
Read more

A Letter to My Grandson on His First Birthday

  My darling Baby D, Today is the twentieth anniversary of an event that changed the world forever.  This event that we call 9/11 is in your history books but it is a reality that I share with you. So much more has happened to this world since then. 2020 was the year of the pandemic - this time your reality more than mine. You actually got the dreaded covid bug. It has been a year and some of isolation, masks, vaccines and fear all around us.  Each new day makes our reality uncertain and changing all the time. And yet for me this is a day of hope. 9/11 of 2020 is what I will call it. I had prayed for over five years - sometimes fervently, sometimes desperately, sometimes, honestly not at all. I often got tired of waiting but my weak faith was not going to stop God’s plan.  A year has gone by and I have watched you grow from the tiny fragile little baby, to a  boy who cannot sit still. Oh what joy you bring to my heart. I love your welcome at the condo and your response when you hea
2 comments
Read more

Thankful

Another first... Last year we had my Papa and Julius at the dinner table. Couple of weeks later my Dad passed away - slipped away in his sleep. Six months later Julius was gone to heaven. To be honest I have asked God "What are you thinking God?" "How do you expect me to move on with so much loss and grief?" And "What is coming next?" I confess that none of these questions are answered because they are not worthy to be asked. God is Sovereign, He is Creator and He is in control and I am so comforted by His Word. In the book of Job I read: But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?      What he desires, that he does. 14  For he will complete what he appoints for me,      and many such things are in his mind . Job 23:13-14. And again in Lamentations 3 For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32  but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;  33  for he does not afflict from his heart   or
3 comments
Read more