Two-minute read.
“Grace is always a gift,” the pastor said in this week’s message at church. Jesus gave us the gift that never stops giving. Every morning, the Lord gives us fresh mercy. Paul, author of 2 Corinthians, had a thorn in his side, a chronic pain the apostle asked the Lord to remove from him three times. Receiving a divine reply, God told Paul that His grace was all he needed. The Lord promised His servant that he would always have enough grace to overcome the thorn.
God promises us the same. Whatever struggles we have in life, the Lord’s grace will help us overcome them, never running out, always in supply. Grace comes in various forms. Receiving a load of wood in the rain, Ron and I stacked it with our rain jackets, keeping us dry. Back-breaking work, when the rain slowed, it seemed like a gift from heaven, God’s grace on a rainy day. At the beginning of the year, while fasting, when temptation started to rear its ugly head, praying and seeking God’s grace helped me persevere. When my mom died, the Lord’s strength helped me enjoy my last days with her and gave me the strength to hold her hand as she transitioned into heaven.
The Lord’s grace moves with us through our lives, helping us with whatever mountain we face. Like Paul, we can deal with our thorns because of God’s grace. When we boast in our weakness, we glorify the Savior’s strength and His continuous presence in our lives. Instead of complaining about our thorns, we can expose our weaknesses to highlight the Lord’s grace. Gaining a new perspective helps us see our struggles from a divine perspective, enabling us to view our sufferings as opportunities to glorify Christ.
Christ on the cross forms the supreme example of “power-in-weakness.” To the world, Jesus looked defeated, and His journey over. But with God’s grace, He overcame the cross, conquering death and giving us the gift of eternal life. Christ didn’t die so that we could suffer, but so we could have life in abundance, even in our sufferings. Accepting that we will have challenges in life and that God will give us the strength to endure them helps us live life to the fullest.
Thank the Lord for His grace, which truly will help us overcome our struggles. He has a rich supply of divine mercy that will never run out. We can trust in Him to see us through whatever storms come our way. When God says His grace is sufficient, He means it.
Journal Questions:
What thorn do you want God to remove?
How have you experienced God’s grace?
Name a weakness that allows you to boast about God’s strength?
Application:
Thank God for His power.
