But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
If your current suffering, trial, or distress could be depicted as an empty cup, how big would your cup be?
16oz?
A super big gulp-sized 44 oz?
Maybe a gallon?
Perhaps it might even feel like a pit, one that is so deep you can’t even see over the top of.
Today, I’m here to tell you that God’s grace fills that cup, that hole, that pit…To. The. Brim. In other words, it satisfies. Not in the way we always want it to — in the form of a YES answer to our prayers for God to take it away, but in the way that His completeness, His love, His grace overcomes the pain.
“Grace.” That word gets used a lot in Christian circles, and for good reason. It is probably THE most important word when it comes to our salvation. But perhaps due to use and overuse over the years it has lost some of its impact, some of its meaning.
So allow me to unpack that word a bit in hopes of infusing new life into that all-important and precious word. Sit on each synonym and let it saturate your mind until it drips down into your soul and you begin to feel its effects.
GRACE: KINDNESS. MERCY. BENEVOLENCE. BLESSING. GLORY. MAGNIFICENCE. OPULENCE. LUXURIOUSNESS. EXCELLENCE. VIRTUE. ELEGANCE. VALUE. UNMERITED FAVOR.
Now go back to your “cup.” Bring it before the Lord, the same as Jesus did in the garden. Pray “Father, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will but as You will.” Pray it several times…pray it three times (the third time with f e e l i n g)! If God takes that cup away, praise Him for His deliverance. But if He doesn’t, allow Him to fill that cup with His grace. It is the better way, for in it you discover His strength, His love, His joy. And no matter where life takes you, no matter what trial has befallen you, that is all you really need.