God’s Grace and Power Are Sufficient for Your Life and Work (Working God’s Way)
God’s Grace and Power are Sufficient for your Life and Work because He is Sovereign over all things!
God’s Grace is Sufficient.
He is Sovereign!
God’s Grace is the foundation upon which the Gospel message is built. His grace is our source. Because He is sovereign, we can trust Him to offer grace where it is needed!
God is Sovereign over the universe, our salvation, our suffering—over everything!
Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. … And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
1 Chronicles 29:12-13
Examples of God’s Sufficient Grace in Scripture
Consider David
Even when he lied, lusted, lay with Bathsheba, stole, and killed—God saw his heart and loved him. David turned from his sin and repented.
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin! Psalm 51:1-2
(These are the first two verses! I love that!)
And God forgave David and offered him grace.
God does this for us as well!
Consider Rahab
She was referred to by God as a “harlot” three times in His Word! She heard of the God of Israel, sheltered the Israelite spies in her home, saved their lives, and bravely bargained for her life and that of her family.
“I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”
Joshua 2:9-11
Rahab lived with the Israelites and faithfully served God from that day on! God willingly offered His Grace.
He does this for us as well!
When we are focused on what God has assigned to us and our efforts are aligned with His Precepts, His Grace is sufficient. His Power enables us to do what He has called us to do, and to do it well. – Karen Lindwall-Bourg Click To TweetGod’s Grace is Sufficient,
He offers You Grace!
In my own life, as a young widow, I went out on dates with four different widowers, and I have to admit I did not always honor God in my dating decisions. Looking back, I am sure one of them was not a follower of Christ. Typical of a sinful nature, he’s the one I was most enamored with!
Out of the mouths of babes – My 7-year-old son, Matthew, is the one who told me I shouldn’t look at anyone else but Fred! He actually said, “You’re going to marry Fred Bourg!”
As I write this, I am struck with a new revelation that God offered Fred to our family as an act of His Grace!
My Goodness! Lord, I thank You and pray that I will look upon my dear husband this way from now on! Thank You for this enlightenment! Amen.
In what ways has God offered you His Grace? Take time to thank Him now!
In her chapter on The Sufficiency of Grace from Grace Over Grind, Shae Bynes states:
Working by God’s grace does not mean that you will escape challenges. You will undoubtedly experience trials and undesirable circumstances in your business, but this is where grace meets you. Grace is the empowerment that enables you to successfully do what God has called you to do.
Shae Bynes, Grace Over Grind: How Grace Will Take Your Business Where Grinding Can’t
…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.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9, 10
God’s Power is Sufficient.
He is Omnipotent!
David Prays in the Assembly:
Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
1 Chronicles 29:10-13
May we never forget that God’s power is sufficient for any and all things we are going through!
Examples of God’s Sufficient Power in Scripture
God’s Word alone has the power to strengthen us.
Consider Paul
In spite of starting as one of the most zealous enemies of Christianity, bearing this thorn in the flesh (don’t you wish we knew exactly what it was!?); he was transformed! He was given amazing revelations of God’s glory and power, kept from pride, made humble, and became the Gospel’s most ardent messenger as he traveled far and wide taking the message of salvation to the Gentiles!
God transforms us as well!
Consider Gideon
The story of Gideon is told in the Book of Judges, chapters 6 and 7. Gideon was considered the “weakest in his father’s house” and his clan was called the “weakest in Manasseh!” God wouldn’t let him use 30,000 or 3,000 men to conquer their oppressor Midian. He gave him only 300 men to fight. They were victorious! God made the odds so unfathomably small that only God could bring victory!
He brings victory for us as well!
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.2 Corinthians 12:9 Click To TweetGod’s Power is Sufficient.
He Empowers You!
In my young life, my husband Tim endured 3 different forms of cancer over a period of four years. Our family and friends suffered alongside him. People would come to visit us in his last 111 days in hospital and leave exclaiming, “I came to encourage him, and I am leaving encouraged!” God gave him strength and power when he must have been feeling low (an understatement, I’m sure) in body, soul, and spirit to minister to others. God gave me strength and power after Tim died to live for Him and to care for our three children, then ages 7, 6, and 4!
My Goodness! Lord, I thank You and pray that I will look upon those traumatic times as an era of Your Offering of Power to us from this day forward! Thank you for this enlightenment! Amen.
In what ways has God offered you His Power? Take time to thank Him now!
Again, Shae states
Not only does this grace offer you a lifestyle of unforced rhythm, rest, and divine favor, but according to God, His grace offers the solution to difficulties you will face on your entrepreneurial journey. In 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, the Apostle Paul shared that when he pleaded with God and asked Him three times to take away the thorn in his flesh, God’s response was “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul goes on in verse 10 to describe some of the weaknesses he encountered; insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties. God says that His transforming power is made complete in all of our weakness and that is extraordinary news.
Shae Bynes, Grace Over Grind: How Grace Will Take Your Business Where Grinding Can’t
Your Turn
Challenges:
- What challenges in your life and business/ministry require God’s Grace?
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- What challenges in your business/ministry require God’s Power?
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- Journal for 5 minutes asking the Lord very specific questions about His Grace and Power in your business/ministry and recording His Answers! _______________________________________________________________________________
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Actions:
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Blessings,
Dr. Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Numbers 6, ESV
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
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