Is God’s grace sufficient for you?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9a (NIV))

Is His grace sufficient for you?

I don’t know anyone who actually likes to admit that they are weak. It goes against everything in our human nature, but that is exactly what we are called to do. In our sinful, fallen nature, we like to elevate ourselves. We like to make it look like we have it all under control. We like to think that we are the captains of our own destiny and that we are in complete control of everything.

In other words, we like to toot our own horn!

Paul had a different opinion.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
(2 Corinthians 12:9b (NIV))

Based on Paul’s status in Jewish society, he probably had tooted his own horn many times. He was a Pharisee and was well on his way to high position, prestige and authority, but his Damascus Road experience changed all of that. He realized that his understanding was wrong. He realized that his studies had taken him down the wrong path. He realized that it wasn’t about his strength, but that it was about the strength of the one who was in him.

Paul realized that he needed to submit to the authority that was far greater than he. He realized that he needed to humble himself. He realized that he needed to become weak in the eyes of the world so that the Lord could become his strength.

Is God’s grace sufficient for you?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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He will not forsake you.

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

When you pass through the waters,
  I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
  they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
  you will not be burned;
  the flames will not set you ablaze.
(Isaiah 43:2 (NIV))

All that I can say is thank you, Lord, for your great grace, mercy and love!

We may never actually pass through the waters or walk through the fire, but we can rest assured that no matter what we may face, the Lord is with us. If we do face the waters or the fire, we have the assurance that He is walking with us, guiding us and protecting us because we are His children!

For years I have had what Paul simply described as a thorn in his flesh. He never gave us more details, but we know that he suffered from some health problems that he prayed to be taken from him. We know how God answered that prayer.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
‭‭(2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭(NIV‬‬))

Can we boldly proclaim that His grace is sufficient for us?

Can we allow the Lord’s power to be made perfect in our weakness?

Can we boast about our weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on us?

As I sit here at 3 AM on a Sunday morning because of the fact that the thorn in my flesh has raised its ugly head, I rejoice in the quiet. I rejoice that it has allowed me to be still in His presence. I rejoice because it has allowed me another uninterrupted time to know Him.

Be still and know that I am God,
(Psalms 46:10a (NIV))

I rejoice because once again His grace is sufficient!

Each of us face trials in our lives that potentially have the ability to do us harm. Don’t lose hope! Don’t lose faith! He is still with you. He will not forsake you.

Good night!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you willing to listen to God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
      to know the word that sustains the weary.
   He wakens me morning by morning,
      wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
(Isaiah 50:4 (NIV))

What can sustain the weary?

Think about that question.

What makes you weary? Is it the world? Is it your job? Is it relationships that you wish were different? Is it the state of the world with all of the trials and tribulations that we must face? What sustains you in the midst of these trials and tribulations? What sustains you when you feel that you cannot go on?

Isaiah was given words to say to people who were weary. God gave him words of hope to speak to the people of Israel. Many of the prophesies regarding the coming of Jesus were spoken through Isaiah. What made Isaiah different from all of the people around him? Why was he able to hear God when the others did not? Perhaps we are given a clue as to Isaiah’s abilities in the remaining lines of the passage. God awoke Isaiah every morning and taught him. God spoke to Isaiah because Isaiah was willing to listen. What made Isaiah willing to listen?

What makes you willing to listen to someone? I believe that there are two primary reasons someone willingly listens to someone else. They love the person speaking, or they are interested in the topic. In Isaiah, I believe that we have found both. He loved the Lord and, because of this love, he also was very interested in what God had to say. He listened because he longed for God’s truth. This, alone, is enough to sustain the weary. Simply listening to God and taking his Word to heart is sufficient to sustain even the most weary of individuals.

Are you weary? Do you listen to God? Do you embrace every word that He has given us?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))

Have you found rest?

Are you willing to listen to God?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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God’s love stands faithful!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all
generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
(Psalms 89:1-2 (NIV))

Even before Jesus came to earth, people were singing the praises of God. They were preaching the good news before they knew what that news was. All they knew was that God had promised, and that was sufficient for them. What faith they had!

Today, we have the benefit of history to look back at and see that:
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.
(2 Corinthians 1:20a)

Is it no less appropriate to realize that what God has promised that has not yet happened, will happen. God has promised that His people would know the season for things to come. Even to the end, He is faithful and His love does stand firm forever.

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Give praises to the Lord

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
(2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV))

Have you ever heard of anyone boasting about being weak?

This is not typical human behavior!

People boast about being the best, or being the strongest, but never do you hear of anyone boasting about being weak. Let’s face it, human nature makes us want to look good in the eyes of those around us. We want to show off, and what self-respecting showoff would claim to be weak? It just isn’t heard of.

When we have competitions, we crown the best as the winners. We have games where grown men and women compete to see who is the best. We even give awards to those who win. In all of this, do you ever hear someone say that they are too weak to compete?

I will be honest. There are those who profess that they owe their abilities to God, yet, for the most part, in these competitions, they are the exception.

Why did Paul boast that he is weak?

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
2 Corinthians 12:7-8 (NIV)

Paul, even though he was chosen by God to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, had a physical affliction. Some have even suggested that he suffered from seizures. Paul, regardless of the physical issues, was used powerfully by God. He did not allow his physical limitations to keep him from fulfilling the call that God placed upon his life. He recognized the limitations and, more importantly, he recognized that God was using him in spite of the limitations.

Paul answered God’s call even in the midst of his own problems!

Would we do that?

How many times have we neglected God’s call upon our lives because we felt limited and incapable? How many times have we failed to realize that we would not be the ones doing that task? How many times have we failed to answer even when we had Paul as our example?

I know that I am guilty of this more times than I care to admit, still it is my desire to answer that call.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
(Isaiah 6:8 (NIV))

Are we willing to respond in this manner? Are we willing to overlook our weaknesses when God calls? Are we willing to step out in faith and acknowledge that it is God’s strength and not our weakness that is in charge?

I have a challenge for you.

God has a calling upon each of us. Step out to meet that calling. When wondrous things happen, boast that it is not you.

Give praises to the Lord.

Copyright 1998 – 2012 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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