God’s Grace Will Sustain You – Grace Under Fire, part 2
SERIES: Grace Under Firer-fire
Are you asking God to move in a certain way? This message teaches how God can use both your weaknesses and pain to display his strength and power; and how he will sustain you in your weakness.
Where does your strength come from? When you choose to walk with the Lord daily, you’ll be strengthened by his presence and his grace in your life.
Strengthened By Grace
Over the past several weeks we have learned that grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God, an undeserving gift of God. Grace is not earned. Grace is free. Grace is kindness shown to an undeserving individual. God’s Grace is an expression of his love, peace, and favor towards an individual, a nation, and the world. God’s Grace is the source of your salvation, grace through faith; not of yourself, it is a gift from God. Grace is also the source of your forgiveness and relationship with God and strength from God Almighty.
We also learned last week, grace and mercy are different. God’s grace is God bestowing his favor that is undeserved, where mercy is the withholding of deserved punishment. In other words, Mercy is withholding what we deserve, where grace extends God’s love and blessing that we do not deserve.
Last week we looked at the story of Joseph and saw how the Lord was with Joseph in every trial and tough spot in his life. The same is true for each of us today. Remember, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes (see Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:16, Psalm 102:25-27).
Daily let us be thankful for God’s grace that he extends to each of us. Let us never forget the grace of God. Let us never take for granted the grace of God. Let us always be thankful for the grace of God.
Joseph was a boy of 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery. We learned that what Joseph’s brothers meant for evil, God used for good and his glory. Throughout all Joseph’s life we can see the grace of God.
People today, many unknowingly, have each experienced the grace and mercy of God. The grace of God is extended to all the world. There is no one born of Adam that God has not extended his grace towards. Some have responded in a positive way where others ignored the grace of God and continued in their sin-filled lifestyle.
Church, trials and difficulties in life can be used by God for good and to form you into the person of God he desires you to be; or you can allow them to crush you and smother you into thinking and believing that God is not on your side. You decide by the choices you make.
Know beyond any doubt that God is in your side, and he is with you no matter how things may look to you right now. He will sustain you, support you, strengthen you, and uphold you in times of need. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov 18:10). God is a refuge, a strong tower (see Psalm 61:3-4).
David knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that in God is where he finds comfort, strength, safety, and all he needs to live.
Always look beyond the physical situation and look to the grace of God. God’s Grace will sustain you during life’s trials and pains.
There are seasons in life. Some are more difficult than others, yet the Lord is always with you. From your mother’s womb to the grave God is with you. In sickness and in health. In grammar school and in retirement years God is with you. The grace of God is extended to the one who is far from God and the one who walks with God daily. No matter the season in life or the situation you find yourself in, God’s grace is always sufficient.
In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul tells us that he personally learned that God’s grace was sufficient in his weakness. God’s grace is sufficient in your weakness as well. Physical, emotional, financial, mental, spiritual. It does not matter. God’s grace will never fall short.
‘I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 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. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:1-10, NIV).
The word perfect in verse 9 means complete. God’s grace fills in and makes complete Paul’s weakness. Paul recognized in his weakness (speaking of the thorn in his flesh) God’s grace enabled him to cope with his weakness. In Paul’s weakness, the grace and power of God is displayed even more clearly. “For when I am weak, then I am strong”.
Remember, at one time Paul persecuted the church. He had believers put in prison. I can only imagine those past acts haunted his thoughts at times. Paul was very religious yet far from Christ when he persecuted individuals and the church. But by the grace of God, God called him and saved him. Paul placed his faith in Christ and the passion he displayed against Christ and the church was changed by the grace of God to be a passion for believers everywhere to grow spiritually and in the knowledge of Christ the Lord. God used Paul to build up believers both then and today by the letters he wrote to churches that now make up the New Testament.
God sustained Paul in every situation and in the spiritual attack that he faced daily. From sinner to saint. God’s grace provided Paul the strength to keep going, keep believing, keep trusting and to finish the race God called him to. In Corinthians 12 we see where Paul prays three times asking God to remove the thorn in his side. Was it a physical thorn? Was it an emotional thorn? Was it the memory of his past sins? Was it the guilt regarding the pain and suffering he caused other believers prior to placing his faith in Christ? We do not know. All we know is, Paul asked God to remove something, and God told him “My grace / my power is greater than your weakness.”
Are you praying or asking God to move in a certain way? To remove something? The pain, the heart ache, some physical, emotional/mental issues but the thorn is still there. God has not removed it yet. Paul would like you to know that God’s grace is all you need. God’s grace is more than sufficient for any situation. Simply trust him. Call out to him. Lean on the Lord and trust the Lord with the circumstance. Know that if the circumstance is not resolved, you can be sure God knows what he is doing, and he is able to sustain and keep you. Whatever the situation, God has a plan and purpose for your life and his grace will help you achieve it. We know that God “will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (John 14:13-14). You might think well Paul prayed three times and God did not remove the thorn in his side. God had a plan and purpose for not removing Paul’s thorn in his side.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).
Pray according to God’s will and know that he hears you. The key is: are your prayers according to God’s will?
God knows what he is doing. He knows you better than yourself. Remember: His timing is perfect. His plan is perfect. He loves you. He is for you and not against you.
“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).
You are not forsaken because your prayers may not be answered at that moment. Rely on the grace of God. Know beyond a shadow of doubt that he loves you and he hears your prayers. Also know:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
God had a purpose in not removing the thorn in Paul’s side. Paul remained spiritually humble because of the thorn in his side. Paul learned to trust and depend on the Lord in every situation. Let us do the same. Trust and obey, there is no other way.
Paul boasted of his weakness. Paul did not mind boasting of his weakness because God received all the glory in everything Paul did.
Allow me to list some more examples of God using imperfect people in their weakness.
Moses said he was not a good speaker. But God used him in a great way to speak to Pharoah and deliver the people of God out from under the bondages of Egypt and Pharoah.
David was young and small. But God used David defeated Goliath, a giant.
The Israelite army was not as equipped or trained in battle. But God worked through them, and the Israelites defeated enemies much stronger than them. God’s grace and power are clearly seen.
God also allowed the Israelites to go into bondage because of their sin and disobedience. Yet by the grace of God, he delivers them from their enemies time and again.
David went into hiding because King Saul was out to kill him. God provided for David and his men.
David and Bathsheba’s first son died. Yet David and Bathsheba’s second son, Solomon, would become king.
God can use both our weakness and pain to display his strength and power. God can use both our weakness and pain to display his grace. He can use our weakness and pain to keep us spiritually humble and to develop in us a heart of faith.
Know and acknowledge your weakness. The more you understand and know your weaknesses the more you will be reliant and dependent upon the grace and power of God. Learn to identify, recognize, and acknowledge your weaknesses. This is not an easy thing to accept.
We all have weaknesses, but not many of us want others know our weaknesses. Not one of us is perfect; however, God uses us in all our weakness and by the grace of God, our weakness is strengthened by our dependence upon the grace of God.
We are to apply ourselves in our weakness, we are not to be afraid of our weaknesses, but rather to look to God, and God will strengthen and fill in the areas that we are weak and lack. In other words, a student who wants to get a good grade on a test, still must study, they must apply themselves and ask the Lord to help them where they are lacking. God’s grace does not mean the student does not study or apply themselves in preparation of the test and expect God to give them the answers and get a high grade. That would be irresponsible. We are to do our best and then the Lord will help us where we lack.
Abram needed to travel to Canaan and believed God would do as he said he would. First Abram needed to take the first step of faith.
Noah had to start building the ark.
David needed to take the first step towards Goliath.
Moses needed to step out and go to Egypt and declare the words of God.
Paul needed to trust in the grace of God each day. Weather in a Roman prison, on a ship that was breaking apart in a storm, or when threatened with death and run out of a city.
Each one learned the truth that God’s grace is sufficient, along with millions of others down the ages. They learned that they were sustained and strengthened by the grace of God.
Learn your weakness, work on them to strengthen them, and then trust God for the rest.
I referred to Moses earlier. Moses confessed his weaknesses to God. God already knew Moses’ weaknesses and by the grace of God he used Moses to deliver the people of God out of bondage.
God’s grace is all the strength you need to sustain you and his grace completes your weaknesses, and in his grace you are strong (see Habakkuk 3:19).
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:17-18).
Paul was able to experience God’s strength knowing his own weakness, thus Paul was able to boast in the Lord and give all the glory to God Almighty.
Maybe you have experienced a time where God has used you, strengthened you, sustained you in a time of weakness. Allow me to give you a little warning.
If you feel secure in your own strength, you might want to watch out for what comes next. The Israelites time and again moved in their own strength. They forgot to honor God. They stepped out on their own strength and ability at times. They desired ungodly things and chose to do things contrary to the plan of God and they soon found themselves in bondage.
Choose to walk with the Lord daily, be strengthened by his presence and his grace in your life. Your life is in him.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:5-8).
As the parable of the vine and branches clearly portrays, the branches will wither and die apart from the vine. The branch that is apart from the vine is good for nothing and will be tossed in the fire and burned. However, when the branches are connected to the vine, they will produce much fruit. The same is true for the believer in Jesus.
Apart from Jesus we are good for nothing. We are dead in our sins. A person will spiritually wither and die apart from Jesus. The believer is to stay connected to Jesus. In Christ we draw our strength. In Christ we have life eternal.
Remain connected to Jesus and learn to draw your strength from the Lord.
As long as the Israelites stayed connected to God Almighty, they were victorious. It was when the people of God chose to worship and serve other gods, it was as the people of God turned away for the Lord that they begin to get weak spiritually and die.
Paul knew the Lord was his source of strength.
Where does your strength come from?
Paul knew he needed the grace of God. Paul refused to be intimidated by threats or the storms of life. Paul trusted Jesus. He learned to rely on the grace of God in every circumstance.
By the grace of God, you know Jesus as your savior, you woke up this morning, you just inhaled another breath, you may have arrived safely at a destination today, you may live in a place of freedom, you may have fresh water and food.
You responded to the grace of God and placed your faith in Jesus. Know beyond any doubt: God’s grace will sustain you. Only believe. Believe the word of Jesus, “My grace is all you need.” Take time today to thank the Lord for his grace that he extends to you daily.
Take time this week to give thanks to God for the thorn in your side, or maybe for some weakness that you have and allow God to show himself strong in your weakness. He will sustain you in your weakness.
We need to learn to lean on the Lord, draw our strength from the Lord. And most of all, to know he loves you and his grace will sustain you in all you need.
Suggested Praise and Worship
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