2 Chronicles 12:9
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Is His grace and strength sufficient?
God says, about Himself, "See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand."
Every storm and sunny day, predator and prey, disaster and blessing, wound and dressing, was created by Him, through Him, and for Him.
He did not consult another, has no sister or brother, no need to confide, no one beside.
He is God!
He was there before it began. He made it by His hand, measured and planned, sustained by His command.
Is His grace and strength sufficient?
Is it sufficient for your situation?
When you suddenly don't know how the bill will be paid or the illness cured, the job kept or a new one found, the wayward child drawn back or the broken house made whole, do you believe that His grace and strength are sufficient?
There is a belief that saves, and there is another that deceives.
There is a belief that says, "I'm going all the way! I'm not turning back. I've made my decision, and I'm pressing on."
There is a belief that says to Nebukanezer "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand, but even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
There is a belief that allows us to say "If I perish, I perish," as we walk, uninvited, into the inner court of Xerxes.
There is a belief that allows us to forsake father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even our own life, and come to the one who has been given authority over all flesh, the only one who can give eternal life.
We believe in all sorts of things, everyday.
We believe a chair will hold our weight, and so we rest in it. We believe our car will start, and the check will clear. We believe the sun will rise and we will wake up the next morning. Without belief in something, we would not be able to function.
We are constantly reminded that our salvation hinges on our belief. We bring others the good news, proclaiming that the debt has been paid, the battle won, the doors to heaven flung open, and that the only thing stopping them from enjoying the blessings of God is the placement of their belief.
Our problem is not a lack of belief, but rather belief mismanaged.
Do you believe that his grace and strength are sufficient?
Do you boast in your infirmities, and does the very power of Christ rest on you?
This isn't about manufactured feelings, friend. It isn't jumping around with your arms raised, flag twirling, or crocodile tears in your eyes. It's not smoke machines and soft acoustic music meant to evoke emotion.
It is the proper management of our agency of belief.
It is refusing conformity to the pattern of a world that does not know God, instead choosing to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, which is facilitated by spending time in His presence. It is being so full of the Word that there is no room for the world. It is guarding your eyes and your heart, refusing to let anything in that stands in opposition to the truth of The Gospel. It is taking every thought captive and subduing it, placing it under the authority of Jesus.
It is starting where you are, being honest with God and saying, "I believe, help my unbelief."
It is a decision you make today and continue making, in every circumstance and situation.
If we believe that Jesus's shed blood on the cross was enough to cover our iniqueties, that at our lowest point, when we were enemies of God, He reached down in love and chose to save us, how much more, now that we have become the rightousness of God, should we believe in His ability and willingness to provide for us in all of these smaller things? If He was willing to save your eternal soul from death and damnation, surely He can deliver you from the various trials of life.
Let us shed off those things that so easily trip us up as we walk with God. Let us refuse access to our minds, anything that stands against the truth of God. Let us rebuke any lie that tries to seduce us.
Let us put on the full armor of God, and when we have done all that God has commanded of us, let us stand, for it is not the measure of our belief that fights our battles but rather the object. We believe in a mighty God! The creator of the heavens and the earth who stoops down to consider the concerns of His people. He never sleeps nor slumbers, and He has proven, time and time again, that He is willing and able to save. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He has never failed, and He never will.