Extra Grace Required
“For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” (Psalms 84:11 NLT)
Last night, our church’s sixth annual Vous Conference began with an amazing opening session in the historic Fillmore Theatre on Miami Beach. For me, this conference is one of the most exciting, joy-filled events of my year.
This year though, I came into the first session of the conference with my mind focused on seeking God’s intervention and direction. In my recent blog post Pray Big, I shared about my trip to Sweden and my need to pray big prayers for the needs in my life and the life of some close friends.
The Apostle Paul wrote about his personal struggles in 2 Corinthians Chapter 12. He didn’t say he simply prayed. He said he pleaded with God to change his situation and take away his struggle. God’s answer wasn’t what he expected:
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Rather than answering Paul’s prayer by removing the problem, God sent Paul grace. This is the exact grace I need right now:
*Grace to endure the struggle,
*Grace to keep moving forward, and
*Grace to trust God.
In many ways, God’s grace in the midst of struggle is more potent than the answer to the prayer because this grace is accompanied by God’s power.
So today, as I go back to the conference, I know that I too can go with God’s grace and power. I am going to keep praying big though, knowing that I have the grace to endure, the grace to keep moving forward, and the grace to continue trusting God.
“…May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.” (Romans 1:7b NLT)
(photo credits: I took photos of these beautiful flowers in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2015.)
What People Are Saying
A very inspirational post, Linda. I have a friend who keeps saying “God must want me to fail” (it’s a long story). It can be challenging to be still and allow grace to do its work!
Paula:
I’m so excited! God is so good.
Linda