But He said to me,
My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient
against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My
strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves
most effective in your weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in
my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the
Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me. So for the
sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults,
hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in
human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength)
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Grace is unmerited favor. Another definition of grace
that I came across years ago is God’s
ability to help you do what you can’t do yourself. Grace helps your
inability and your weakness. We’re helpless to save ourselves from our sins so
God’s gives us His grace through faith and we enter the family of God and or sins
are cleansed.
Faith changes things and circumstances as we exercise it
and stand in the tough times. But grace
is directed towards us personally. Faith
changes things but grace changes people.
Grace helps me in every small detail of life. Grace quickens,
empowers, motives, and changes me. Jesus by the grace of God took our sins and freed us from its wages. When I come
to the end of myself and feel whipped, defeated, and powerless, grace enters, lifts me up, and enables
me in the impossible circumstance.
Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified) tells us that God’s throne is a
throne of grace. We can approach it
with boldness to find the necessary strength to face every challenge that life
brings our way: Let us then fearlessly
and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of
God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our
failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help
and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
Grace is
accessed by prayer. Jesus obtained tremendous grace in the garden of Gethsemane
during a time of prayer to go to the cross and become our sin. Grace empowers, quickens, motivates, and
changes. Though the test be great, the power in grace is greater. If it
was available to Jesus in His greatest time of earthly testing, it is available
to you and me now.
Today, grace is
available for every challenge you face. Divine ability is waiting for you to
tap into it to help you in family matters, in tense relationships on the job,
in situation with your children, or to enable you to conquer a life dominating
habit. Let’s approach the throne of grace
early today and obtain the necessary grace for this day’s challenges. We are
never alone. The Father’s ability, strength, wisdom, guidance, life, power, and
nature are ours today. It’s called GRACE. Spend some knee time accessing it!
Pastor Mitch, thank you for being obedient to the Holy Spirit tonite in service. I am one of those people you were talking about in turmoil this week not knowing why. Wrong thoughts and emotions and oppression.
ReplyDeleteTonite was just what I needed to get my mind back where it should have been all along...fixed on Jesus. It was a blessing to me and I believe to many others. Thank you Pastor Mitch and thank you Holy Spirit!