OUR SUFFICIENCY IN GOD’S GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2020.

SUBJECT: OUR SUFFICIENCY IN GOD’S GRACE!

Memory verse: “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2 vs 40.)

READ: Second Corinthians 3 vs 5; 9 vs 8:

3:5: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God.

9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

INTIMATION:

It is hard for us to enjoy life if we don't have assurance about today, peace about yesterday and confidence about tomorrow. Why is it so? It is because as long as we live we will always have to face situations for which we don't have all the answers. If we don't have something going on in our lives that we can't handle, we wouldn't need God, therefore, we wouldn't need faith, we wouldn't have to trust God. The Lord will see to it that we are always dependent upon Him. And He does that by allowing us get into situations that are over our head, and makes His grace available to us. Although we may get worried, God never gets worried because He already knows exactly what He's going to do.  

For instance, when Jesus fed the multitude of five thousand men, excluding women and children, He said to Philip His disciple; “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” The Scripture says, “But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” (John 6 vs 5 - 6.) But although the Lord already has a plan for us to follow, a path for us to walk in, and a work for us to do, He won't give us all the answers today that we will need tomorrow. With each new day comes the grace that we need to live that day and meet the challenges of it. 

No matter what happens, God is still in control. He has a plan to handle everything that we will encounter in this life. And His grace is sufficient to meet all our needs. When the Israelites were brought out of the land of Egypt to the promised land, because it was God’s plan, His grace was sufficient for them to meet all their needs, even in the wilderness, until they arrived at the promised land.

No one can be adequate without God’s help through His grace. No one is competent to carry out the responsibilities of God’s calling in his or her own strength. Without the Holy Spirit of grace enabling us, our natural talent can carry us only so far. As Christ’s witnesses, we need the character and special strength that only God gives through His grace. We turn to God to seek pathways for effectiveness. We must rely on God for our effectiveness rather than simply on our own energy, effort, or talent. Our weakness not only helps develop Christian character, it also deepens our worship, because in admitting our weakness, we affirm God's strength. 

It was God's plan to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. When the time came for Jesus to do what He came for, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed (Matthew 26 vs 37 - 38). Jesus prayed to God the Father three times, asking for the same thing, saying the same words; “O My Father, If this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26 vs 42). Thereafter, God took over, the Father’s strength was made perfect in the Son’s weakness, and He became strengthened to face the planned death for mankind. God made available His Spirit of grace to carry Him through.

You may have heard the story about the young man who was in prison and about to be burned at the stake the next day for his faith in Christ. In the same cell there was an older man, more experienced believer who knew more about the way of the Lord. As it began to get dark, the younger man struck a match to light a candle and, as he did so, he burned his finger. Letting out a cry of anguish and pain, he said to his companion, "How can I stand to be burned at the stake tomorrow if I can't stand to be burned on the finger tonight?" The older man calmly replied, "Son, God didn't ask you to burn your finger, so there is no grace for that. But He is asking you to die for your faith, so when the time comes the grace will be there."

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I live, and move, and have my being. I can do all things through Your grace made available to me. Help me, O Lord, that nothing can inhibit Your grace in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!