From my quiet time this morning. I cried when I read it because God knew. He knew conversations that would be shared, losses suffered, unfulfilled desires revealed, questions proffered in days recently passed and this very day. I share this because I don’t believe it was meant for my eyes only, but to be shared with you, and if this touches you, encourages you, strengthens or challenges you, then I mean YOU.
"There are times when the one thing you want is the one thing you never get. You're not being picky or demanding, you're only obeying his command to "ask God for everything you need". All you want is an open door for an extra day or an answered prayer, for which you will be thankful. And so you pray and wait. No answer. You pray and wait. No answer. You pray and wait. May I ask a very important question? What if God says no? What if the request is delayed or even denied? When God says no to you, how will you respond? If God says, "I’ve given you my grace, and that is enough." Will you be content?
Content. That's the word. A state of heart in which you would be at peace if God gave you nothing more than he already has. Test yourself with this question. What if God's only gift to you were his grace to save you? Would you be content? You beg him to save the life of your child. You plead with him to keep your business afloat. You implore him to remove the cancer from your body. What if his answer is "My grace is enough?" Would you be content?
You see, from heaven's perspective, grace is enough. If God did nothing more than save us from hell, could anyone complain? If God saved our souls and then left us to spend our lives leprosy struck on a deserted island, would He be unjust? Having been given eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body? Having been given heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty?
Let me be quick to add, God has not left you with "just salvation." If you have eyes to read these words, hands to hold this book, the means to own this volume, he has already given you grace upon grace. The vast majority of us have been saved and blessed even more!
But there are those times when God, having given us his grace, hears our appeals and says, "My grace is sufficient for you." Is he being unfair? In "God Came Near I've told how our oldest daughter fell into a swimming pool when she was two years old. A friend saw her and pulled her to safety. What I didn't tell was what happened the next morning in my prayer time. I made a special effort to record my gratitude in my journal. I told God how wonderful he was for saving her. As clearly as if God himself were speaking, this question came to mind. "Would I be less wonderful had I let her drown? Would I be any less a good God for calling her home? Would I still be receiving your praise this morning had I not saved her?
Is God still a good God when he says no? “
From “In The Grip of Grace” by Max Lucado
Is His Grace Enough?
Your Grace Is Enough - Chris Tomlin
16 comments:
Just moments before reading your post, we got a phone call from a fellow retired co-worker of Nalley telling us their other co-worker had cancer and was near the end. The two of them made plans to drive the 3 hours to visit this man this week. What perfect timing for you to share this message and song.
Two things in my life... one he is saying wait and I am finding it a little hard but I am better with patience then with 'no'... to be honest...The other thing is a 'no' and that is hard... it involves something I wanted for YEARS and had to give up to him after having it for only a few years... I am happy to say as much as it is hard I am not angry with God. I just keep putting it into his hands when it eats at me again. I have to beleive he knows better then I do even though I don't see what is better about it...
Thanks for posting this. In some ways it upset me but I can still say thank you for posting it.
"A state of heart in which you would be at peace if God gave you nothing more than he already has."
That's really the struggle isn't it? To be content with all God has already given, yet to be wanting more of Christ and less of worldliness.
I know heartstrings are popping all over as we pull back to the core of the matter - if His grace is sufficient, then we must rest in it, dwelling in the shelter of the Most High.
His grace is enough... how true that is, but how easily we get swayed into thinking we need this or that from God, and our focus changes from focusing on God to what He can give us or do for us... but for me, then He so gently turns my focus back to Him and away from the "stuff", and I do indeed find that His grace is enough...
Thank you for sharing this!
Blessings!
Yes, that would be me. Thinking deeply upon this... is His grace enough?... I don't act like it is, though it is my hearts desire to be content in the way that is described here. I don't want to ever question God and His ways... yet I continually find myself acting like a spoiled child. He is GOOD... and who am I to question what he does or says? That song pulls at my heart strings every time I hear it or sing it... brings tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing.
For me, His grace is sufficient enough. I've been through some very turbulent storms in my life, as we all have, and just when I think that I'm not going to get through "this one", after praying to Him and giving it all to Him, He does grace me, my husband and my family. In the past, I haven't always unleashed all of my burdens to Him, but that is something that I have learned to do almost daily now. Life certainly is challenging and extremely tough sometimes, but through Him all things are possible. We have to focus and have strong faith in that and stand on His Word knowing that, even if eventually His answer is no and it seems like forever when waiting. His grace will still be sufficient enough for us to get through the tough stuff as well as all of the wonderful things He has in store for us.
What a great post Prairie Chick. You really got me thinking hard about this and it makes me want to thank Him even more for what He continues to do every single day in my life. Because of our situation, my husband's short-term and long-term memory loss from his open-heart surgery, we have had to lean so hard in knowing that His grace is sufficient. I never stop praying for my husband and for total body healing and it's been since Dec. 2006 that we have had to readjust our lives. Yes tears will continue to stream down our cheeks as we ask, wait, ask again, wait, but joy will eventually come all because of Him.
Hugs & Blessings,
Alleluiabelle
This just underscores the very things I've been dealing with over the past few years. In our Bible Study a couple of weeks ago, Beth Moore called it "conditional trust." It is the trust which says as long as you answer my prayer my way Lord, I will trust you. It is the letting go, the full surrender, the saying Your grace is enough that is the real test.
I find I have to do it over and over again. It is a difficult lesson, but once learned it brings such peace. I'm still trying to learn.
Thank you for these comforting words! I shared with you about the loss a dear friend had of their 4 yo daughter with cancer this past week. You words this week have been so timely. Here are her father's words, "She knew that her time on earth was coming to an end. She not only accepted what many of us fear, but she embraced it. She knew that she was going to meet Jesus. We have learned many lessons from our four year old. ..I know that she is with Jesus. ...I truly believe that God gave us the strength and comfort we needed to walk through these last four years." They are an amazing family and she was an amazing girl. What God has provided and continues to provide for them He does for each of us - grace for the journey. With a grateful heart - Nancy
I am having a hard time feeling right now... I think it's because I don't want to feel the sobs I feel that could come at any second after reading your post.
I have prayed and even begged God for something - rather, someone - to enter my life.
God's response at this point has been a resounding "NO." At times it's very hard to deal with because I get so lonely and feel so alone but ...
Yes, His Grace is enough. He has given me everything I need and then some....including many challenges I still have yet to face.
I get to go to Heaven. I get to read His Word.
It is more than enough.
I have tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat after reading your post. When the whirlwind of life circumstances come, which are not preferred the first thing we do is grumble and complain. If only I could remember often God's Grace is sufficient in the midst of craziness or disappointments.
Great thoughts for the day. I am overflowing with blessings , yet still yearn for the peace that my husband knows by just being. I won't stop seeking the Light. Thanks.
God help us. We are so selfish, so limited in our thinking. Of course His grace is enough, but so many times we don't realize it. We do expect Him to answer our most earnest, important prayers and when He does we are ever so thankful, but.... when He says no we start questioning, agonizing, worrying and so on. Oh for the faith to say You are enough, Your grace is sufficient!
So very powerful and filled with Life. Thank you for sharing.
I am grateful that your girl was o.k. after the near drowning-when I was 10 yrs old I found a toddler in a pool and although he lived he was never the same. Only His grace poured out on us makes life worth living. Blessings and hugs.
Noreen
I have lived a life of sufficing on His grace. It was hard at first to hear the "No" to my prayers, but the life I have lived through His yes's and no's has been WONDERful (yes, full of wonders . . . sometimes wondering, always wonder-filled).
I let go of many ideas I had about prayer when my twins were born with life hanging by a thread and handicaps in the forecast. He is able, more than able to accomplish what concerns me today. I let go of any notions I had of directing Him and let Him take my life to the heights. I grew hind's feet and ascended high places. One never wishes to go back to "prayer requesting" after seeing the hieghts. When you breathe deeply on the mountaintop with Him you LIVE!
Yesterday I worshipped here at home (as I am often called to do) and He met me with snowflakes and wonder at the beauty of His hand. I wept as I listened to "Amazing Grace" played upon an indian cedar flute. So simple, so clear, so true.
A drowning child or a handicapped life or a dead child brings grief untold . . . but still His joy permeates. A hardened heart set upon wish fulfillment never knows joy. Your questions have echoed in my heart, but His answers reverberate in my life . . . and yours, I can see.
Your bloggy spot blesses me. Thank you for the open door and the open heart.
XO!
Powerful. God's grace is sufficient. He has given us eternal life. Wow. Just wow. Thanks for moving me today, friend.
Just an amazing post.... What if his answer is "My grace is enough?" Would you be content?
Very powerful and I so needed these words this day. Thank you.
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