Pastor's Letter • November 13, 2016

In 2 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul speaks about his pleading with the Lord concerning a “thorn in his flesh.”  The Lord’s response was one of sufficient grace for His servant.
 
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV78 –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…”
 
Beloved, deep down beneath all of our religious, political, ethnic, and socio-economic distinctions (and yes, divisions), there is our humanity.  We are all human; we are all vulnerable; we are all mortal, and in some ways, we are all broken.  We need a Redeemer, we need a Friend in the Highest of Places, we need the wonderful SUFFICIENCY OF THE GRACE OF ALMIGHTY GOD!
 
When in the midst of difficulty and even suffering, we long for the Day of Grace; and yet we really do not know when it will be.  We do not know when this day may be that day. We do not know for sure, if it is a Sunday Morning Service, a Tuesday evening prayer meeting, the aisle of a grocery store, or behind the wheel of our car on our way to work.  We do not know when is the Day of Grace.  We do not know when the Touch of Heaven may come near.  We do not know when the Beautiful One may touch our face and speak His Word into our Lives.  But we do know that HE IS PROVIDENTIAL and HE IS SUFFICIENT!  We do know…
 
Psalm 139:16 NIV - Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
 
Even in the midst of his anguish, Job declared…
 
Job 10:12 AMP - You have granted me life and favor, and Your providence has preserved my spirit.
 
Or consider Joseph.  When he was in a pit having been betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, or fleeing from the advances of Potiphar’s wife, or rotting away in Pharaoh’s prison.  He may not have fully understood the sufficiency of God’s Providence.  But when he was elevated to the highest place in Pharaoh’s palace, and the very men who started his painful journey stood before him, He understood, and realized the Day of Grace.
 
Genesis 50:20 NET - As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.
 
So too, we must trust that The Day of Grace is coming even in seasons of anguish, pain, and grief…there is SUFFICIENCY IN THE PROVIDENCE OF THE SOVEREIGN LORD OF THE HEAVENS…
 
Romans 8:28 VOICE - We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.