Enough

My grace is enough; it’s all you need. 2 Corinthians 12:9a MSG

This past Sunday, our Worship leader led us in a new song–new to me anyway, Christ Is Enough by Hillsong. As I sang the song, I was reminded of a devotional challenge my good friend and neighbor, Kelly participated in a few years ago. It was called My One Word. Rather than make a list of New Year resolutions, participants were encouraged to pick one word to pray, find scripture, journal and mediate on for the entire year. My neighbor picked the Word ENOUGH. (Read more about My One Word, HERE)

One could spend a lifetime let alone a year focused on that word with all it’s possible facets of discovery. Materialism, indulgences, greed, gluttony and assertiveness to name a few. But as I sang the following words, I began asking myself, “Do I truly believe in the all Sufficiency of Christ? Is He enough for me?” I extend the question to you dear reader.  Do you believe that Christ is ENOUGH for you?

Christ is my reward
And all of my devotion
Now there’s nothing in this world
That could ever satisfy

Through every trial
My soul will sing
No turning back
I’ve been set free

Christ is enough for me
Christ is enough for me
Everything I need is in You
Everything I need

Christ my all in all
The joy of my salvation
And this hope will never fail
Heaven is our home

Through every storm
My soul will sing
Jesus is here
To God be the glory

Christ is enough for me
Christ is enough for me
Everything I need is in You
Everything I need

I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back
No turning back

The cross before me
The world behind me
No turning back
No turning back

 

This question, Is Christ ENOUGH? only showed up on my radar now that I have lived long enough to see the disappointments and hardships of life. Looking at those who have gone before us in scripture, we see that in their trials, tribulations and disillusionment the question was answered affirmatively. After everything of this world that we hold dear is stripped away and all that remains is Christ, it is only then that we can truly comprehend that He is ENOUGH.

Job

Job, after God allows Satan to obliterate his children, oxen, donkeys, sheep, and servants answers the question resoundingly by falling to the ground in worship and saying, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away: may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21 NIV) Satan then pipes up, “A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” (Job 2:4-5) So God allows Satan to afflict Job with sores from his head to his feet. I’d like to elaborate here if you don’t mind. These were not just any sores. Whatever they were they caused itching, oozing, scabbing, weight loss, chills, fever, blackened skin and diarrhea–yes, diarrhea. (Job 30:27 KJV) The Bible says that when Job’s “friends” went to visit him they could hardly recognize him and they began to weep, tear their clothes and sprinkle dust on their heads! They sat with him for seven days without uttering one word because they saw how great his suffering was. (Job 2:12-13 NIV) But even after his health was taken, again Job answers our question in the affirmative, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”  (Job 19:25-27 NIV)

Habakkuk

Habakkuk was a prophet around the time of the Jewish captivity to Babylon. The beginning of his book pretty much explains his situation. “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?  Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?  WHY do you make me look at injustice? WHY do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. WHY do you tolerate the treacherous?  WHY are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (emphasis mine) (Habakkuk 1:1-3, 13 NIV)

WHY, WHY , WHY?  Have you ever asked God that question? Habakkuk is disillusioned. But while everything in his world is being destroyed and his prayers go unanswered, he answers our question with one of the greatest declarations ever found in scripture that God is ENOUGH. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV)

 Paul

Few in the Bible endured what Paul endured. Listen to his own account, “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,  I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.  (2 Corinthians 11: 24-28) In addition, Scripture says that Paul prayed three times for God to remove a tormenting situation to which God responded, “My grace is enough; It’s all you need.” (1 Corinthians 12:9 MSG) Paul in turn declared that Christ is enough when he  said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8 ESV)

Christ Declares He is Enough

The Bible is full of miracles of God’s provision. In the Old Testament we read of the miracle of Manna (Exodus 16:1-5) and the waters of Masah (Exodus 17:1-9) and Meribah (Numbers 20:1-3). In the New Testament, there is the miraculous feeding of the Five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21) and of the Four thousand (Matthew 15:30-38). Over and over God miraculously provided more than enough in some of the most dire circumstances. And even more profound, Jesus went on to declare that not only could He provide this bread and water out of little or nothing but that He Himself was The Bread of Life (John 6:35) and The Living Water! (Jeremiah 2:13; John 7:38)

I end with these words which I “coincidentally” recently read on the YouVersion Application.

“At one time or another, you encounter the completely unexpected followed by the unthinkable. And when it happens, the impact of it brings you to your knees, able to utter only one desperate word – “Why?” It’s an intense battle when you’re that overwhelmed. First there’s shock and anger, then comes denial, “This can’t be what my great, almighty, and loving God has planned for me – not me, not His beloved child.” You survey the situation and know there must be many different options – better ones. You wonder why God doesn’t see them. Perhaps if you just go slow and lay out the alternatives for Him – each and every one of them – you’ll help Him figure out how to reverse what’s been put in motion… But is that God’s plan?

God longs for you – to pray, wait, listen, worship and trust Him. To rest and fully embrace that where you are is exactly where God plans for you to be. God wants you to know that He is so much bigger than all the desperate and tragic situations in this life. He wants you to know He is always with you and for you. His blessing isn’t found in what He gives or takes away. You find it as you abide in Him. So how do you move forward? Ask Him to align your heart with His. Believe His Word. Trust Him. Count it all joy. Embrace Him as your absolute EVERYTHING. He is indeed, all you’ll ever need. He is more than enough.”

Everything we need is in you, Lord. EVERYTHING WE NEED. CHRIST IS ENOUGH!  LH

(Many of the posts on this website are accompanied by a Bible Study such as the one below. The study is broken up into 5 days and is designed to take you no more than 10 minutes each day. For a printable copy of this post’s Bible study CLICK HERE.)

Enough

A Bible Study about the Sufficiency of Christ 

Throughout the Bible God miraculously provided for His people. Over and over He has shown He is more than enough.

                                                                                        

Day 1 Read Exodus 17:1-9; Numbers 20:1-13

  1. What did the people need in these scripture verses?
  2. What was the attitude of the people in both of these passages? Have you ever continued to grumble even after God has provided for you?
  3. How do we know there was a vast amount of water?

Day 2 Read Exodus 16:1-5; Numbers 11:1-9; Psalm 78:19-29

  1. What did the people want in these scripture verses?
  2. According to the verses in Psalms, how did God respond to the people
  3. What stands out to you about these passages?

Day 3 Read 2 Kings 4:1-7; 42-44

  1. How did God provide for the widows needs?
  2. When did the bread multiply? What is significant about this?
  3. What do both of these passages have in common?

Day 4 Read John 6:1-13; Matthew 15:30-38

  1. What was the response of the disciples in John chapter 6 when Jesus asked the disciples to give the people food?
  2. How much food did the people get at the feeding of the 5000? At the feeding of the 4000?
  3. What did Jesus start with and how much was left over in the feeding of the 5000? The 4000?
  4. Why do you think Jesus asked the disciples on both occasions to pick up the leftovers?

Day 5 Read John 6:28-35

  1. People eat bread to satisfy physical hunger and keep them alive. What is the significance of Jesus saying he is the Bread of Life??
  2. According to this scripture, who gives the bread from heaven?
  3. What promise does Jesus make in verse 35?
  4. How do we receive the Bread of Life?

 

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is an aspiring Bounty Hunter who is always looking for God's Bounty-- His grace and goodness-- in the mundane and melancholy as well as in the miraculous. She is also a wife, mother of four adult children--two with Cerebral Palsy, grandmother and minister of the Gospel. "You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance." Psalm 65:11 NLT

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