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| Jesus carries us. |
Grace is an energy; not a mere sentiment; not a mere thought of the Almighty; not even a word of the Almighty. It is as real an energy as the energy of electricity. It is a divine energy; it is the energy of the divine affection rolling in plenteousness toward the shores of human need.
~Benjamin Jowett (1817-1893)
I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
~ 2Corinthians 12:1-10
Sometimes it seems that an emotional situation can not get any worse.
Then it does.
There is some relational pain in this blogger’s life that kinda got cranked up to a 12 out of 10 in the last week. And then the knob got ripped off the console. AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!! OOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!
AND…
All is well. To be so hurting, and so full of Him; so full of joy… So free… all at once. Words fail. He is so good. i would not have it any other way.
Please read beloved. G_d does not screw up. Not ever. Never. The energy and riches of His grace pour out in a volume that is in hyperbolic inverse proportion to the need.
Said simply: The bigger the hurt, the WAY BIGGER His grace. And the worse things get, the more chance G_d has to show up and show off. He is really good at being G_d.
All we have to do is let Him be the ever-sufficient One that He is. For His sake, in all things we are content. He is worthy of our trust. And in trusting Him – leaning fully onto and into Him – fear is driven out by a Joy that goes beyond understanding.
Oh! That we might all yield even any last iota of our own strength to Him – that His strength would be absolutely perfect in our lives.
G_d has got has my problems and me well within His strong arms. No doubt.
There is plenty of space in here dear reader. Join us. He has very big arms!
In what can I hope, then, or in whom ought I trust, save only in the great mercy of God and the hope of heavenly grace? For though I have with me good people, devout brethren, faithful friends, holy books, beautiful treatises, sweet songs and hymns, all these help and please but little when I am abandoned by grace and left to my poverty. At such times there is no better remedy than patience and resignation of self to the will of God.
Thomas à Kempis
"His compassions fail not;they are new every morning…"
Amen David!