There are those times when you are told something that kind of just blows your mind and you have to sit down for a minute. When this happens, it isn't usually anything that is good nor does it make you jump for joy. You just need to gather your thoughts and center on what is important. Some things come from the world conditions and maybe even the conditions in your own city or neighborhood. We sometimes think that if we just pull up the covers and ignore it for 24 hours that it might go away, but it doesn't I have never seen an ostrich do this, but it is said that when in danger, it sticks its head in the sand leaving the rest of it exposed. If it can't see the danger, then perhaps it will just go by and not harm it. Maybe the ostrich does do that but I cannot say that I have even ever seen one sticking its head in the sand. What do people do when they find themselves confronted with bad news or something that is just plain beyond their power to do anything about? Second Corinthians 12:8-9 says, “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
We probably know the story of the Apostle Paul at this point in his life. God saw fit to include this account in the Scripture because many people are going to be in the same situation someday either now or in the future. We need to get in the habit of learning the lesson it teaches with the small things in life that we cannot change no matter what and then to see what God is going to do as a result of it. We learn how that Paul prayed for his “problem” three times and found no relief from whatever it was that was plaguing his life. God's answer to Paul is same one that we lean on so many times in our own lives with matters both big and small. I often fall back on this passage for the things that I cannot change. The one phrase, “...My grace is sufficient for thee...” gives us the answer. The terms, grace and mercy, are often used in phrases for greetings in some cultures. The two words have meanings that are so important to our relationship with God. Many have used acronyms to define grace such as, God's Riches At Christ's Expense or a definition such as “unmerited love.” Grace is giving you something that you do not deserve while “mercy” is holding back that which you do deserve. To be honest, the older I get the more I praise God for His grace and His mercy, but grace is that which is my comforter during times of distress. I don't have to understand what's going on but I can always rely on God's grace to get me through it. He always has in the past and He always will in the future. Your day may be peppered with periods of events that you don't understand but you can always grab hold of the verse, the thought the God gives us in this passage. No matter what, God's grace is sufficient. You don't have to pray for more grace. You already have it. Praise God for His grace in your life in each and every situation.
No comments:
Post a Comment