More Grace. . . .

 

Every morning before reading Scripture and spending time thinking about what God is saying to me, I open a file of lyrics and sing praises to God. I’m not a great singer, but this turns my thoughts to Him and helps ready my heart for whatever comes next.

This morning I was feeling less lively than yesterday and focused more on my fatigue and the small trials behind and ahead of me. God knew. This song was in the queue:

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

My thoughts became thankful for the many times these words have been my experience. I also thought of the people I’ve criticized for always ‘doing, doing, doing’ without any seeming Sabbath rest, and felt ashamed. God is able to provide whatever is needed, even strength to do the impossible. I’ve no business being critical of any of His servants who take on a load that seems impossible to me. I’ve also many things that need His grace and enablement.

The reading today again includes this:

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. (Deuteronomy 10:17–21)

God needs nothing, and because I am not God, I need everything, all the time. In serving others, I feel without resources. In day-to-day responsibilities, I feel useless, try to find easier chores, or simply check them off the list undone. Yet God reminds me again and again:

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

PRAY: Rather than spend the day on the sofa, or pretend daily responsibilities do not matter, I need Your resources today. Clear my head of all the junk that plays tag inside it, snap my muscles into attention, and grant me a zeal to tackle what You have put on my plate. Your love has no limits and Your grace has no measure. Enable me to rely on Your infinite riches once again today.

Lord, You want me to do what?

Yesterday I was praising God that He enabled me to hear Him and to obey His commands. One example is that I fit in with my husband’s needs as his ‘helper’ suited for that purpose. This morning he asked me to drive him from a place where he needs to leave his car for service. It is -20 C with a windchill of -28 C. I didn’t get enough sleep. I don’t want to. Yet if I listen, I hear God saying that my role as ‘helper’ is fulfilled by taking on this simple task.

One commentary says that a firmly structured society means people are responsible to their right to lead by God’s command. Whoever has a leadership role is in a position to command others and expect their obedience. My hubby isn’t bossy. He will be thinking of ways to spare me from going out this cold day, yet at the same time, is this what I want — a way out of doing what God wants me to do?

The Hebrew word for TO COMMAND means “to charge someone do something” yet in the context it hints that any request God makes, He also provides the means to accomplish it.

I think of ants, especially those who travel long distances carrying something bigger than they are. How do they do it? Isn’t it because they were created that way? Not only that, they do what they were created to do without putting their hands on their hips and saying, “I don’t want to” when the job seems too difficult.

COMMAND is a type of. “to request, order, cause to do, burden with responsibility, or to forbid” Hubby’s command was mostly a request, not an order. A few of God’s commands are requests, but as a Christian, I see most of them as “do this and in Me you will find all you need for the task.”

To back that up, when God “commanded” the world into existence, all creatures and elements therefore obey his command because that is how they were created. The Bible is clear that He also directs the course of history by decreeing crucial events. He also commands His people to live victorious lives that do not give into sin and selfishness. We can do that because of the new birth that He gives us with the indwelling power of His Spirit to enable our success.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me . . . . And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:13; 19)

This promise to supply is also why the Word of God can say:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:1–5)

His commands are not burdensome because what God commands to be done, He provides the means to accomplish it! I am not stuck with being unable.

His Word is true because He commanded it. He also commands blessing to those faithful to obey Him and will fill every part of what He promises to do. He says blessing accompanies obedience to His commands even as rebellion brings curses.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. I could do what God says because I’m afraid if I don’t something bad will happen. However, God is not carrying a big stick. He loves me and wants the best for me. Wanting the best includes big and small commands, all of which require obedience to experience His very best. Obedience is based on loving trust — if I love Him and believe He rewards all who seek His ways, getting outside on a cold day is not a big deal.