Friday 15 May 2009

Sufficient to Strengthen

The SALT challenges of late, have been a challenge and more importantly an encouragement! Challenging in the sense that God really does speak through His word (the Bible). The challenges seem so appropriate to situations I go through. This weeks card was made for a specific couple in mind. When we go through trials, it seems that more struggles are piled on to us, but this verse teaches that through our suffering God's undeserved love shines through, and is enough to get us through, if only we lean and trust in HIM!!!

Here is the blurb 'the topic for this week and I chose God's Strength based on 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." It seems lately that I have been made aware of so many people going through so many difficult trials, serious illnesses/injuries, financial strains, marital stress, loss of loved ones, and more. It's often easy for us to begin to question God's purposes and worry or despair. In this chapter of Corinthians, we see the example of the apostle Paul, how he prayed 3 times for God to remove a "thorn in the flesh" (we are not told what it was). God's answer should be our encouragement and comfort as it was Paul's! "My grace is sufficient for you."Matthew Henry in his commentary on this chapter states that "Grace signifies . . . The good-will of God towards us, and this is enough to enlighten and enliven us, sufficient to strengthen and comfort us, to support our souls and cheer up our spirits, in all afflictions and distresses. . . . Christ Jesus understands our case, and knows our need, and will proportion the remedy to our malady, and not only strengthen us, but glorify himself."
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