Week 5 Day Four Suffering Grace
Question 14. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
8. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
9. 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.
What does this passage reveal about the grace of God?
It reveals God is always with us.
I know that if I did not have His grace, I believe that I probably wouldn't be here now.
I have been struggling financially for a while. Whenever things looked hopeless, God always provided for my husband and me. We never lost our house. Whenever I had a problem with my car, God always made sure that I had a way to get to work. He may not have always provided me with the money. He showed me what to do both in becoming debt free within the next twenty years and how to build up a savings.
While I might like to have all the money I need to pay off my bills and to live on until I can collect Social Security, I may find myself not leaning on God for support. My revived heart may not be the way it is now.
Question 15. How do our weaknesses and needs provide a showcase for God's power?
God uses ordinary people for his purposes. This is shown throughout the Bible. God did not use perfect people. He used people like you and me.
Noah was a godly man. Yet he still became a victim of drunkenness.
Abraham followed God. But he grew impatient and went to his wife's servant to have a child rather than waiting for God's timing.
Isaac played favorites when he chose Esau over Jacob.
Jacob was deceptive and a liar. He also played favorites when he favored Joseph over his other brothers.
Joseph may have been boastful when his father made him a special coat.
Other ordinary people God chose include:
Moses-who was a murderer and made one excuse after another when the Lord chose him to lead the people out of Egypt.
Davids was an adulterer and a murderer.
Paul originally executed many Christians. He became, after experiencing God, one of the biggest missionaries during New Testament times.
Question 16. How did Paul respond to the assurance of God's grace?
"When God declared to Paul...'My grace is sufficient for you.' He confirmed the total sufficiency of His grace for every need in life'''God's grace was sufficient not the deepest pain Paul (or any other believer) could ever experience."-John MacArthur
Question 17. 1 Peter 5:10
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
What perspective does 1 Peter 5:10 give us about the duration of our sufferings?
It is only for a short time compared to the amount of time you spend in heaven. When I am going through hard times, I need to remind myself of that. The amount of time I live on this world compared to eternity is like a blink of the eye.
Question 18. What does this passage tell us about the purposes of God for our lives and the eventual outcoming of our suffering? How can God's grace transform our suffering into something of value and beauty?
Grace gives us the strength to continue.
Sometimes I am exhausted both physically and mentally. Other times I might be in pain. Rather than complaining I have to remind myself of the physical and mental pain that Jesus went through when he suffered and died on the cross.
A poem I wrote a while back. I think this goes well with the question:
I hide from the forces
Tat are tearing me apart.
My soul is fractured
And in many fragments.
My life is in pieces
And cannot be put together.
I come across obstacles,
But stumble over them.
How can I go on?
I am so overwhelmed.
Falling I catch myself.
I open my eyes.
I see the pieces of my life.
Scattered like a puzzle,
I realize what I must do.
My life needs a major overhaul.
Adjustments must be made.
I must make a change
Even though it will be difficult.
I take one day at a time;
Things seem brighter each day.
I believe in myself
And follow my heart.
Putting the final piece together,
My life is whole.
Never again will I close my eyes
And lose sight of the beauty
Of my life and this world.
In the words of Joni Eareckson Tada-"The weaker I am, the harder I must lean on God's grace; the harder I lean on him, the stronger I discover him to be, and the bolder my testimony to his grace."
8. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
9. 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.
What does this passage reveal about the grace of God?
It reveals God is always with us.
I know that if I did not have His grace, I believe that I probably wouldn't be here now.
I have been struggling financially for a while. Whenever things looked hopeless, God always provided for my husband and me. We never lost our house. Whenever I had a problem with my car, God always made sure that I had a way to get to work. He may not have always provided me with the money. He showed me what to do both in becoming debt free within the next twenty years and how to build up a savings.
While I might like to have all the money I need to pay off my bills and to live on until I can collect Social Security, I may find myself not leaning on God for support. My revived heart may not be the way it is now.
Question 15. How do our weaknesses and needs provide a showcase for God's power?
God uses ordinary people for his purposes. This is shown throughout the Bible. God did not use perfect people. He used people like you and me.
Noah was a godly man. Yet he still became a victim of drunkenness.
Abraham followed God. But he grew impatient and went to his wife's servant to have a child rather than waiting for God's timing.
Isaac played favorites when he chose Esau over Jacob.
Jacob was deceptive and a liar. He also played favorites when he favored Joseph over his other brothers.
Joseph may have been boastful when his father made him a special coat.
Other ordinary people God chose include:
Moses-who was a murderer and made one excuse after another when the Lord chose him to lead the people out of Egypt.
Davids was an adulterer and a murderer.
Paul originally executed many Christians. He became, after experiencing God, one of the biggest missionaries during New Testament times.
Question 16. How did Paul respond to the assurance of God's grace?
"When God declared to Paul...'My grace is sufficient for you.' He confirmed the total sufficiency of His grace for every need in life'''God's grace was sufficient not the deepest pain Paul (or any other believer) could ever experience."-John MacArthur
Question 17. 1 Peter 5:10
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
What perspective does 1 Peter 5:10 give us about the duration of our sufferings?
It is only for a short time compared to the amount of time you spend in heaven. When I am going through hard times, I need to remind myself of that. The amount of time I live on this world compared to eternity is like a blink of the eye.
Question 18. What does this passage tell us about the purposes of God for our lives and the eventual outcoming of our suffering? How can God's grace transform our suffering into something of value and beauty?
Grace gives us the strength to continue.
Sometimes I am exhausted both physically and mentally. Other times I might be in pain. Rather than complaining I have to remind myself of the physical and mental pain that Jesus went through when he suffered and died on the cross.
A poem I wrote a while back. I think this goes well with the question:
I hide from the forces
Tat are tearing me apart.
My soul is fractured
And in many fragments.
My life is in pieces
And cannot be put together.
I come across obstacles,
But stumble over them.
How can I go on?
I am so overwhelmed.
Falling I catch myself.
I open my eyes.
I see the pieces of my life.
Scattered like a puzzle,
I realize what I must do.
My life needs a major overhaul.
Adjustments must be made.
I must make a change
Even though it will be difficult.
I take one day at a time;
Things seem brighter each day.
I believe in myself
And follow my heart.
Putting the final piece together,
My life is whole.
Never again will I close my eyes
And lose sight of the beauty
Of my life and this world.
In the words of Joni Eareckson Tada-"The weaker I am, the harder I must lean on God's grace; the harder I lean on him, the stronger I discover him to be, and the bolder my testimony to his grace."
Question 19. The co-author of Seeking Him went through a trying time when his wife suffered for almost a year-and dying from- ALS (Lou Gerhig's Disease.)
What does his experience reveal about the heart and ways of God that could be helpful to you or a friend who is going through a time of sorrow or hardship?
He allowed God to carry him through hardships. When a friend goes through a similar situation, it is best to talk to the friend and tell him of what you have gone through and how you were able to cope with God's help.
I had gone through a similar situation when I miscarried my son at full-term. At first I went through depression. All I wanted to do was sleep and not get out of bed. But I had to pull myself together because of my family. I had to be strong not only for my two daughters-who were three and four at the time-but also for my husband. He had another daughter-my step-daughter-and he wanted a boy. As time went on I began to cope. My getting back on my feet did not take a long time. While I give credit to my family, it was mostly God who had my back. And knowing that I would see my son again gave me the strength to move on.
I knew it was God's will that he took my son so soon. At the time I didn't understand his overall plan. However, when a co-worker miscarried her baby early in her pregnancy, I was able to talk to her about how I coped with my son's death. Having somebody to talk to makes it easier for another person to cope.
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