“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
Shopping for yogurt has gotten hard these days. I only like a particular brand and only certain flavors. Once I find the correct yogurt, I hold the container up to the light to find the expiration date. Quite often, the yogurt has already expired or is about to expire.
As Christians, we often meditate on God’s promises. We testify about particular verses that helped us through hard times.
As I write this, COVID has been a part of our lives for 8 months. We are entering the holiday season in which we celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. These holidays will not be the same as they were in previous years. Many of us are weary of restrictions. We are experiencing what the media is calling “COVID fatigue “.
For Christians, it is all too easy to stop clinging to the promises that helped us through the first few months of the pandemic. Like the psalmist, we cry out “How long, O Lord?”. It is good to pray prayers of lament to the Lord and to run to Him with our worries and frustrations.
But we also need to return to the promises of God to find strength and encouragement.
The apostle Paul prayed 3 times that God would remove the thorn in his flesh. God chose not to remove the thorn. Instead, he said to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
For those of us who have been praying for COVID to end, God is choosing to delay the answer to that prayer. Instead, He says to us as He said to Paul “My grace is sufficient for you.” God has not removed the pandemic at this time. Instead, He gives us a wonderful promise. He promises to give us His grace as we walk through this season of life. He promises to take our weaknesses and to replace them with His strength.
Let’s begin each day asking the Lord to pour His grace on us and to give us His strength. Let’s pray that He would give us thankful hearts to celebrate Thanksgiving, that He would give us a new sense wonder at the Majestic baby born on Christmas Day, and that He would give us new hope as we watch a New Year begin.
Let us cling to His promises each day of the holiday season. For His promises have no expiration date. We can count on them each and every day.
You are so right, Diane. I pray that you find many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Sometimes it is hard to see those blessings, but God is faithful. He will provide, encourage and love us, just as He always does. God does not change. He will see us through this.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Diane. The Promises of God can be trusted. I agreed may we cling to them and allow them to encourage our hearts to keep going and keep going in joy as we celebrate Jesus this season.
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