A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Thursday, March
21, 2019
Sunset over Catalina Island from the pier at San Clemente, California
(Click for larger photo)
"The
Grace That Is Sufficient"
Message
summary:
Do you have a "thorn in
the flesh" or are you
close to someone right
now who feels the
piercing pain of a
"thorn". First aid such
as the ointment of God's
grace can be applied
which is absolutely
sufficient to sustain
you through the trial at
hand. Not only did Paul
keep his faith, but He
thrived in His pursuit
of God and we are the
benefactors because of
it. As you endure the
trial and pursue God you
too will be stronger and
God will be glorified
through your endurance.
Listen to our
message on your audio
player.
"But He said
to me, 'My grace is
sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect
in weakness.' Therefore
I will boast all the
more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that
Christ's power may rest
on me" (2 Corinthians
12:9).
Grace alone
which God supplies
Strength unknown He will provide
Christ in us, our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone.
Strength unknown He will provide
Christ in us, our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone.
This
summer Brooksyne will be
serving as a short term
missionary at a camp
sponsored by Joni and
Friends up in the Poconos
at Spruce Lake Retreat
Center.
The
camp is for families with
children who have
disabilities. For many years
we have appreciated the
ministry of Joni Erickson
Tada. Her ministry has
inspired and touched so
many who would very likely
never have heard of her
apart from her diving
accident at age 17 in
1967, leaving her a
quadriplegic.Our lives are enriched as we observe and learn from those, like Joni, who endure and overcome a life-transforming trial. We are presently praying for and observing the overcoming faith of a friend in his mid-fifties who was recently diagnosed with ALS. He recently reported a less than encouraging report after a visit to Johns Hopkins and wrote, "[The diagnosis] does confirm there is no quick fix here. But THERE IS ONE who can turn this around. As for family and friends - thank you for so many expressions of love and support. Cards, meals, visits and calls. So many. I am a blessed man."
You surely know of others who have had similar trials, but by God's grace they rejected bitterness and opted for being used in a way they might never have imagined nor desired, but for the grace of God.
The
apostle Paul received
tremendous assurance from
the daily text after a
time of prayer that seemed
to go unanswered. He was
dealing with his "thorn
in the flesh". Much
speculation has been made
regarding the nature of
this thorn, with a variety
of interpretations
offered. However Paul
simply does not disclose
the details, although it's
likely his original
readers would have already
known, due to their
personal association with
him.Warren Wiersbe observes, "God did not give Paul any explanations; instead, He gave him a promise: 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' We do not live on explanations; we live on promises. Our feelings change, but God’s promises never change. Promises generate faith, and faith strengthens hope. Paul claimed God’s promise and drew on the grace that was offered to him; this turned seeming tragedy into triumph. God did not change the situation by removing the affliction; He changed it by adding a new ingredient: grace."
Robert
Morgan writes, "If you
have a red letter Bible,
just thumb through the
book of Acts and the
letters of Paul, looking
for any words that show up
in red letters. Those are
statements from the lips
of Christ Himself, and
when you read them you can
just imagine Jesus
appearing and speaking
personally to Paul; and
furthermore, think of
Jesus speaking personally
to you. Those who heard
Him when He labored on
earth said that no one
ever spoke like He did,
for He taught with
authority and not as the
Pharisees or the scribes.
That's the way He speaks
to you and me, and so this
is a personal message from
Jesus, in red letters to
your heart, and He says, "My
grace is sufficient
for you".This verse of assurance has brought comfort to scores of believers through the church age. I recall the day before my father had open-heart surgery in 1997 that he had read this passage and it spoke personally to him regarding his "thorn". We generally interpret the thorn to be representative of a trial. I consider the lack of specific identity by Paul regarding the nature of his thorn to be a part of God's design, for our trials truly take on many forms and God's grace is sufficient for each of them!
Are you dealing with a "thorn in the flesh" or are you close to someone right now who feels the piercing pain of a "thorn". First aid such as the ointment of God's grace can be applied which is absolutely sufficient to sustain you through the trial at hand. Not only did Paul keep his faith, but He thrived in His pursuit of God and we, along with millions over the centuries, are the benefactors because of it. As you endure the trial and pursue God you too will be stronger and God will be glorified through your faithful endurance.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, it is
in our
weaknesses
that Your
power becomes
more visible
in our lives.
The "thorn in
our flesh" is
representative
of those
trials common
to all
followers of
Christ. We
call out for
deliverance
and yet endure
the discomfort
and affliction
as a true
soldier of the
faith, all the
while being
"joyful in
hope, patient
in affliction
and faithful
in prayer".
Because of the
blood of
Christ we can
overcome the
opposition and
triumph in our
faith to the
glory of God
the Father in
whose name we
pray. Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
Here's a video about
the camp Brooksyne will be serving
at.
"Suffering is not a
hindrance to God working, it's
often a catalyst." Last
Sunday our pastor made an
interesting point concerning
suffering. Video starts
when he makes this point.
"Until
Then" Concert: This
coming Sunday afternoon at
3:00 PM the Calvary Church
Choir and Orchestra will
feature a concert with the
theme of heaven. I (Brooksyne)
have sure enjoyed our
rehearsals and look forward to
singing in this concert.
Selections include time
honored hymns sung with the
congregation and several newer
selections with the theme of
heaven. When I was a teenager
"Until Then" was a choir
number that we sang often in
church and revivals. I never
wearied of its message or
tune, as a young person, and
am thrilled to be singing it
again in this setting since
the words now seem more
meaningful than in my youth. I
still attend many concerts
aimed at the younger crowds
and enjoy them, but I'm also
glad for a concert that has
the older generation in mind.
I hope many of our local
readers can come out and be
blessed by this concert. Come
early because it will likely
be very crowded. Here's
another song we will be
singing "One Day (When We
All Get To Heaven)", a
newer song so here's a video by
Matt Redman singing this
beautiful song. This is an
excellent example of using new
and old together. May it bless
you as you listen as it has
blessed me each time I have
sung it with the choir. I
especially like the lines,
"One day we'll be free, free
indeed, Jesus. One day all the
struggle will cease. And we
will see Your glory revealed
on that day!" That stanza
leads us into the traditional
hymn, "When We All Get to
Heaven". Friends, what a day,
glorious day that will be!Stephen's note: I
would sure like to attend this
choir concert but I had
volunteered to drive our Amish
friends up to New York state to
visit relatives this weekend north
of Cooperstown. We will be
visiting several maple syrup
producers during the annual New York Maple
weekend. We will have a
pancake breakfast with REAL maple
syrup and a sugarbush tour on a
horse-drawn wagon.
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