Your Grace Is Enough!
"Be not far from me O God; come quickly to help me. May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace. But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more. My mouth will tell of Your righteousness, of Your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim Your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim Your righteousness, Yours alone. Since my youth, O God, You have taught me, and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come. Your righteousness reaches to the skies O God, You who have done great things. Who, O God is like You? Though You have made me see troubles many and bitter, You will restore my life again, from the depths of the earth You will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again (Psalm 71:12-21)."
There is one thing that I have learned since my Lord saved me and that is this: He will never ever forsake me. He is faithful and He is the only One who can fill me and make me whole. Life has been a journey, at times filled with happiness and other times filled with pain. During times of heartache and great trouble, I have experienced unexplainable peace, indescribable joy and grace to endure. Grace to endure fierce battles, grace to stand when my flesh wants to crumble, grace to keep believing when the answer has not yet come, and grace to keep pressing on. On my own-in my own strength, I could never do it, but the Spirit living on the inside of me, He is the One who helps me to overcome. "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:12)."
There will be times I fall. I will make mistakes. I will sin. However, God is there full of mercy, ready to forgive, ready to cleanse and ready to set me high upon a rock. He has proven His faithfulness to me over and over again. I am so unworthy, yet He continues to love me in spite of me. Because of Jesus, I come boldly to His throne to receive grace in times of need. "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it the most (Hebrews 4:16)."
What is grace? Well, it is not something you earn nor is it something that can be bought. Grace is simply God's gift to all who will receive it. It is the undeserved favor of God for you and me who deserve hell. Grace is also readily available for each of us to help us in the storms of life. There are times that you may pray for God to do something. Maybe it is for Him to heal a loved one, maybe it is salvation for someone dear to your heart, maybe it is a prodigal son or daughter or maybe it is a financial need. Although this request may line up with scripture, God in His sovereignty may not give you the answer you prayed for. Three times, the apostle Paul asked the Lord to take something away, but God said His grace is sufficient. "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)." Notice how Paul responds, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak then I am strong (9-10)."
He is an example for you and me to follow when God's answer is not what we thought it would be. Paul trusted the Lord Jesus. He knew that God always has his best in mind, just as He does you and me. See my friend, all we see is the here and now. God sees everything from beginning to end. Even when the answer is no, God knows what is best for you. His way is perfect. He is God. We are not. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9)."
Friend, God loves you more than you could imagine. He is for you! He wants you to seek Him first before all else-before your family, your spouse, your children, your job, your finances and your desires. It is in the valleys of life, the sadness, the heartache, the loss, and the unanswered prayer that God wants to show you that He is enough! "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:10-12)." Jesus died so that you can have life and have it more abundantly. This abundant life is fullness of joy, peace, forgiveness, unfailing love, restoration and wholeness. It is not based on your circumstances, but on the one and only constant in this life~Jesus.
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:7-11)."
There is one thing that I have learned since my Lord saved me and that is this: He will never ever forsake me. He is faithful and He is the only One who can fill me and make me whole. Life has been a journey, at times filled with happiness and other times filled with pain. During times of heartache and great trouble, I have experienced unexplainable peace, indescribable joy and grace to endure. Grace to endure fierce battles, grace to stand when my flesh wants to crumble, grace to keep believing when the answer has not yet come, and grace to keep pressing on. On my own-in my own strength, I could never do it, but the Spirit living on the inside of me, He is the One who helps me to overcome. "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:12)."
There will be times I fall. I will make mistakes. I will sin. However, God is there full of mercy, ready to forgive, ready to cleanse and ready to set me high upon a rock. He has proven His faithfulness to me over and over again. I am so unworthy, yet He continues to love me in spite of me. Because of Jesus, I come boldly to His throne to receive grace in times of need. "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it the most (Hebrews 4:16)."
What is grace? Well, it is not something you earn nor is it something that can be bought. Grace is simply God's gift to all who will receive it. It is the undeserved favor of God for you and me who deserve hell. Grace is also readily available for each of us to help us in the storms of life. There are times that you may pray for God to do something. Maybe it is for Him to heal a loved one, maybe it is salvation for someone dear to your heart, maybe it is a prodigal son or daughter or maybe it is a financial need. Although this request may line up with scripture, God in His sovereignty may not give you the answer you prayed for. Three times, the apostle Paul asked the Lord to take something away, but God said His grace is sufficient. "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)." Notice how Paul responds, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak then I am strong (9-10)."
He is an example for you and me to follow when God's answer is not what we thought it would be. Paul trusted the Lord Jesus. He knew that God always has his best in mind, just as He does you and me. See my friend, all we see is the here and now. God sees everything from beginning to end. Even when the answer is no, God knows what is best for you. His way is perfect. He is God. We are not. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9)."
Friend, God loves you more than you could imagine. He is for you! He wants you to seek Him first before all else-before your family, your spouse, your children, your job, your finances and your desires. It is in the valleys of life, the sadness, the heartache, the loss, and the unanswered prayer that God wants to show you that He is enough! "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:10-12)." Jesus died so that you can have life and have it more abundantly. This abundant life is fullness of joy, peace, forgiveness, unfailing love, restoration and wholeness. It is not based on your circumstances, but on the one and only constant in this life~Jesus.
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:7-11)."
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