Here we are heading into a new week, Monday morning of Holy
Week, but I am not feeling the same kind of anticipation known in past years.
When I awakened today, my first thoughts were for those sick, those fearful,
those alone in crisis. There in the darkness of the predawn I chose to turn my
heart to my God. “Lord, what of this? How do we meet this challenge? Will You
heal my friends, bring Your powerful restoration to this broken world?” In my meditation, this was His word – “My
grace is sufficient.” It is a
great phrase, but so much more than a Hallmark™ greeting!
I am certain that I am not the only person who is struggling
to keep my footing in this mess of a pandemic. If you are feeling dread, if you
are fearful, if you are anxious – there is courage to be found in this
declaration - “My grace is sufficient.”
Let’s explore it together. St. Paul was struggling with a “thorn
in the flesh.” "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.” He does not tell us what
that was, but from context we can conclude that something was making his life
hard, bringing him discomfort. He says that he prayed three times for God to
heal him but instead of healing, the Spirit gave him this word. “My
grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
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." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, NIV)
“Grace” is a translation of a rich word in the original text
about the goodness of God, His favor, a gift that changes us by filling
us with the joy and wholeness that is the very nature of God.
And, what He offers to us is “sufficient,” enough to meet the challenge, all the resource needed!
And, what He offers to us is “sufficient,” enough to meet the challenge, all the resource needed!
Paul’s response to that revelation was surrender to God’s
will and acceptance of his own weakness. He isn’t whining about his misery, nor
is he fishing for comfort from others. He realized that his own inability to
overcome that thing that was causing him such pain, was a way that God was
inviting him to rely on a power outside of himself, the powerful Presence of
the Spirit. At the point of the death of his self-will, God was able to step
in, give him a quality of life he could never have achieved for himself.
God’s word for me, for you, this Monday is “My grace is sufficient.” He is more than enough. He is peace. He is
life. He is love. As you pray today start with a confession of your need – but instead
of demanding that He change your world – invite Him to pour Himself into you, changing
YOU. Offer him your surrender, not resigning to fate, but allowing Him to make
the sorrow, the hardship, an opening through which His gifts can flow into your
heart.
Yes, “My grace is sufficient.”
Here is a word from the Word. "We are confident that as you share in suffering, you will also
share God’s comfort. I think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters,
about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and
completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact,
we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but
on God who can raise the dead. And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we
are confident that he will continue to deliver us." (2 Corinthians
1:7-10, NLT)
