ACCEPTING GOD’S PROMISES

II CORINTHIANS 12:9

 

 

            I was reading a story from one of my Grandmother Sander’s devotionals that she used for many years.  I really love reading from them, not only for the devotion itself but for the notes that she wrote in them.  I suppose she had no idea that as she made her little personal notes in her devotional that she was ministering to her grandchildren.  It is a great connection that is maintained between us (her grandchildren) and our grandmother.  Well, getting back to the story, an English pastor had just buried his son in the cemetery adjoining the church that God had appointed him to oversee.  The pastor had come into the church study with intentions of speaking to the congregation that evening on how to face adversity.  As he attempted to prepare for such a task he realized that he was weak and was not at all sure he could do it.  He fell to his knees and cried out to God for grace.  It was evident to him that he needed God’s grace.  As he pleaded to The Lord for his unmerited favor, he felt as if God was rejecting his plea.  Finally he lifted his head from prayer and saw a framed picture of a portion of II Corinthians 12:9 hanging on his wall “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” The framed verse had been given to him as a gift by a lady in the church.  Each word was written in a different color and was a different size.  What really caught his attention was the word “Is.”  “Is” was in the color green and was the largest word of all.  God spoke and said “why do you ask for what is already yours?

            Why do we live as if God’s grace might be sufficient?  God made no bones about it he said that his grace IS sufficient.  It is not sufficient only for the strong but God’s strength IS made perfect in weakness.  It is hard for me to imagine a pastor burying his son and in a matter of hours trying to preach on the topic of “adversity.”  I have often said that there are times when I need to be ministered to.  God knows what he is doing and I’m sure that God’s grace and strength were in full supply sitting on ready to provide this dear pastor with all he needed. 

            The same supply is sitting ready to meet our every need.  It is a promise from God.  He doesn’t make false or empty promises.  The next time you start to ask God for something stop and consider if it is in God’s great list of promises.  If so, it is already yours.

 

 

Yours in Christ,

Brother Randy Burtram

 

(Originally published July 7, 2013)