Sufficient Grace

The theme of a wonderful ladies’ meeting I recently attended was “The God of All Grace.” Affirmation was given that though our best is given to God from a heart of love, we are still invited into the fellowship of His sufferings - to minutely taste the pain He suffered sacrificially for us at Calvary.

Even though the Christian life does not go the way of Eden as we all wish, there is sufficient grace from a God Who is bigger than the thorns He allows in our lives. When the “hard” that we pray to soften turns to a “thorn” that remains, we can experience the God of all grace! Here are some of my gleanings in poetic form:

In likeness to Thy suffering,

To Thee, this thorn I commend.

By Thy mercy and by Thy truth,

I ask Thee my soul to defend.

Thou art my faithful Refuge:

My Tower - high and strong!

In my own strategies, I fail!

Under Thy wings I belong.

Sheltered from the sharp arrows

Aimed to pierce and hurt my soul,

Thou art my Buckler and Shield;

Thy love makes me quietly bold.

Whatever befall me in this day,

Let me fasten my gaze on Thee-

Seeing suffering as a gift of Thine

According to Thy loving will for me.

No word or deed is out of Thy sight;

Be Thou my Judge and my Guide.

Cause me to remember in humility -

Wounds  from Thy hands, feet, and side.

At Thy cross, I lay down my affliction.

Each sorrow and grief Thou hast borne.

Nothing is past Thy understanding, and

Thy grace is all-sufficient for my thorn.

-jlw

Take time to meditate on the account Paul gives in his letter to the Corinthian believers and for our help today. He viewed His thorns as gifts that drew Him to know Christ Himself more fully. See his list in 2 Corinthians 12:10.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

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.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

— 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 KJV

• Infirmities (limitations - physical, mental, or emotional; vulnerabilities)

• Reproaches (condemnation, false accusation, shaming…)

• Necessities (physical, financial, emotional, spiritual…)

• Persecutions (continued oppositions, mistreatments, intimidations, pressures…)

• Distresses (overwhelmed by difficult circumstances, anxiety, crises…)

When we are living our lives for Christ’s sake (to glorify God), we will face some or all of the things Paul experienced. No one desires these bad things to afflict us! Paul accepted the truth that these thorns cause us to be weak in our flesh; he listed them because he lived them! He was a Christ-like example to the truth that Christ has the power for us to be strong in Him through weakness of body, mind, or spirit. This is Grace! All is Grace!