And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly will I therefore glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
I grew up in an old house, the same house where my father, and his father before him, had grown up. As a little boy, I noticed on the wall a plaque with a part of a Bible verse – My grace is sufficient for thee. I learned that one of my father’s sisters had created that plaque when she was a girl, and had left it on the wall. I have seen that same text on many walls since. No wonder, this text is very important and very precious to many of the Lord’s people, and has been so since the Holy Spirit instructed Paul to write it. This text reminds me of the many times when, as a lad at the supper table, I would reach across for another molasses cookie, only to be intercepted by my mother, who would admonish me, ‘No, Jim, you’ve had enough!’ Now, I can’t recall a time when I ever had enough of my mother’s molasses cookies. But I had to accept her judgment, even if my tummy disagreed. In the same way, God’s grace is enough for us, even if our flesh disagrees.
God’s grace, His unmerited favour, is enough to save our souls and take us to heaven. Only His marvellous grace could provide a Saviour Who would come and die for our sins. We never tire of John Newton’s lovely old hymn, ‘Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me’. Our salvation, and all of the spiritual blessings that have flowed from that glorious transaction, are all of God’s grace. Grace is enough to meet the need.
The world around us is filled with trinkets and toys, little pleasures of sin that would seek to top up our lives with activities and interest that would draw away our souls from appreciating our Saviour. Do we need these things? Can we not grasp the truth that the grace of God is enough?
And what about the struggles and sorrows that we encounter so often? There are times when it seems that we are being unfairly burdened, when we wonder how much more pain we need to bear, when our hearts are broken with grief and disappointment. At times like these, the truth of our text becomes very precious, as we realize that God will not tempt us beyond what we are able to bear, nor will he leave us alone to carry our burdens. Ask a dear saint who has passed through deep waters of pain, sorrow, or loss, whether the grace of God is enough. Even through tears will come a smile of joy at the appreciation of the sufficiency of the grace of God.
What need do you or I have today that cannot be met by the grace of God? -Jim MacIntosh