Have you ever starred down an obstacle and thought there is no way I can do this? Have you ever looked at yourself, your talents, your faults and thought I am of no use to anyone? This is what I struggled with for many years but God's word reminded me recently that he has set me free from this because he is, 'my very present help..." He reminded me in a verse I have read so many times but didn't really understand. Let's look at this together and see what this means when we are in front of that obstacle.
"My grace is sufficient for you..." (2 Cor. 12:9 Holman) Of course there is more to this verse but I want to just right in a look at this phrase for a moment. What does it mean to be sufficient? Well Miriam Webster's online dictionary defines sufficient as "enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end <sufficient provisions for a month>." So we could boil down that word to enough. So "My" = God's grace is enough.
But then what does grace mean? Webster's dictionary states grace is, "unmerited divine assistance, a virtue coming from God." So we could boil that down to God only help. Help that can come from no human measure or from a manner of our work or effort. Remember it says 'unmerited.' That mean we don't earn it or deserve it. If I was a math wiz, which I am not, it would be one of those probabilities that seems impossible. Don't get me wrong God help can also come in small things but I'm talking about the help that overcomes our weaknesses. So our verse as a whole could say something like, God's devine help is enough. Enough for what? Let's get into that in a moment.
Now this verse, if we back out of the little details, is Paul talking about his weaknesses. Just before this he is describing the thorn in his side. That part of him, many scholars believe to be physical, that pesters him and gets in his way a lot. We may never know this side of heaven what that "thorn" was but this did open doors for Satan to taunt him. In modern terms, psychologist may say it lead to negative self talk or a defeatist attitude. We can say that of course Paul would overcome such thoughts because he is Paul but was Paul more human than you or me? Is he to be elevated above the Lord Jesus Christ?
Paul had an obstacle that, though he prayed for God to remove, God allowed it to remain. But why? Why would a God who loves his creation so much allow such hurt, such disabilities to exist or continue? Why did God not just heal him? Or me? Or my many friends with blindness, deafness, that are in wheelchairs, with learning disabilities, too short, too tall, too fat, too thin, etc.? Why did God allow us to be made this way or keep us this way when he can see how badly it hurts us?
I believe because he wants these things for our benefit. When we are in the mist of our weakness, now I am not talking sin here. I define weakness as something that can not be changed by our own power or strength to it God-like perfection. When we are in the mist of this we have two choices, wallow or look up. I am drawn to my Lord when I am starring at an obstacle that is humanly impossible to overcome. I cry out to me God with all the passion and fervor. I run to his word for strength and peace. I cry out to him. I need him. The other thing the happens when we do this is God's mighty hand is revealed. God gets the glory for all things. We become the candle lit up for others to see His work through us. This not for us to boast.- This chapter in 2 Corinthians goes into that. This is not about us. This is about lifting up the name of the Lord that all may praise him Holy name.
I have had many people ask me over the years how do I live with my arm the way it is and would I want to change it if I could. (It is stuck in a 'C' and mostly unusable.) They do not mean this in a mean way but out of curiosity. I don't really know what to say to them really but that it's a day to day thing. But I will say that when I am faced with obstacles that make living with these challenges hard. When I am facing struggles that are truly not fair I will rest on the fact that I don't need two perfect hands and a smooth arm to do the job because I have God's devine assistance and that is enough for me.
"My grace is sufficient for you..." (2 Cor. 12:9 Holman) Of course there is more to this verse but I want to just right in a look at this phrase for a moment. What does it mean to be sufficient? Well Miriam Webster's online dictionary defines sufficient as "enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end <sufficient provisions for a month>." So we could boil down that word to enough. So "My" = God's grace is enough.
But then what does grace mean? Webster's dictionary states grace is, "unmerited divine assistance, a virtue coming from God." So we could boil that down to God only help. Help that can come from no human measure or from a manner of our work or effort. Remember it says 'unmerited.' That mean we don't earn it or deserve it. If I was a math wiz, which I am not, it would be one of those probabilities that seems impossible. Don't get me wrong God help can also come in small things but I'm talking about the help that overcomes our weaknesses. So our verse as a whole could say something like, God's devine help is enough. Enough for what? Let's get into that in a moment.
Now this verse, if we back out of the little details, is Paul talking about his weaknesses. Just before this he is describing the thorn in his side. That part of him, many scholars believe to be physical, that pesters him and gets in his way a lot. We may never know this side of heaven what that "thorn" was but this did open doors for Satan to taunt him. In modern terms, psychologist may say it lead to negative self talk or a defeatist attitude. We can say that of course Paul would overcome such thoughts because he is Paul but was Paul more human than you or me? Is he to be elevated above the Lord Jesus Christ?
Paul had an obstacle that, though he prayed for God to remove, God allowed it to remain. But why? Why would a God who loves his creation so much allow such hurt, such disabilities to exist or continue? Why did God not just heal him? Or me? Or my many friends with blindness, deafness, that are in wheelchairs, with learning disabilities, too short, too tall, too fat, too thin, etc.? Why did God allow us to be made this way or keep us this way when he can see how badly it hurts us?
I believe because he wants these things for our benefit. When we are in the mist of our weakness, now I am not talking sin here. I define weakness as something that can not be changed by our own power or strength to it God-like perfection. When we are in the mist of this we have two choices, wallow or look up. I am drawn to my Lord when I am starring at an obstacle that is humanly impossible to overcome. I cry out to me God with all the passion and fervor. I run to his word for strength and peace. I cry out to him. I need him. The other thing the happens when we do this is God's mighty hand is revealed. God gets the glory for all things. We become the candle lit up for others to see His work through us. This not for us to boast.- This chapter in 2 Corinthians goes into that. This is not about us. This is about lifting up the name of the Lord that all may praise him Holy name.
I have had many people ask me over the years how do I live with my arm the way it is and would I want to change it if I could. (It is stuck in a 'C' and mostly unusable.) They do not mean this in a mean way but out of curiosity. I don't really know what to say to them really but that it's a day to day thing. But I will say that when I am faced with obstacles that make living with these challenges hard. When I am facing struggles that are truly not fair I will rest on the fact that I don't need two perfect hands and a smooth arm to do the job because I have God's devine assistance and that is enough for me.