How To Get God’s Sustaining Grace

In review of 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 it says, “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’”

Bottom Line:

God can use our weakness to display his great power.

What this means to me:

I can pray and even beg the Lord to take away my arthritic conditions, however I should know that God provides his grace to me and will display his great power through my weakness. I should not hang back and not give it my full effort, but rather gladly accept my weakness and know that God will often use me not on my own strength but his. In this he will slow his great power.

So what can I do when I can’t fix an unfixable problem? What can I do when I can’t solve an unsolvable riddle? What can I do when I can’t change an unchangeable circumstance?

I am to throw myself on the sustaining grace of God. Given this, I’m learning that there are four things I can do to keep going in spite of temptations, trials, tension, tiredness, and troubles.

First, its ok to go ahead and cry out for God’s help. As long as I pretend to be self-sufficient, I will short-circuit God’s power in my life. Admit that I need God’s help. James 4:6b-8a says, “[God] gives grace to the humble. So give yourselves completely to God …. Come near to God, and God will come near to you” (NCV).

Secondly, fill my mind with God’s Word. Let it comfort, strengthen, fill, and give me the energy I need to keep going. David prayed, “I lie in the dust; revive me by your word” (Psalm 119:25 NLT).

Thirdly, accept support from God’s people. The Bible says that “by helping each other with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 NCV). God will put a weaknesses in my life so that I can realize how much I need others. He never meant for me to go through life on my own.

Lastly, hold on to God’s promises. There are more than 7,000 of them in the Bible waiting to be claimed, such as “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grow tired and weary … but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV). I need to keep my eyes focused on the hope of Heaven, not just on the here and now.

Personally, after a period of remission, my arthritis is starting to resurface. Ultimately I need to be referred to a specialist, however, giving the timing I’ll need to wait to see a specialist a few more weeks, until I relocate from Southern to Northern California. So, I should remember that no matter what I’m going through, God’s grace will sustain me if I allow it.

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9a NLT).

I’ll need to remember, that when I’m going through a problem I can’t seem to fix, I shouldn’t give up; instead I should look up!