My grace is sufficient for you… —2 Corinthians 12:9
In the moments of our greatest weakness, God (through Christ) provides the strength to sustain us. Even when things seem impossible, His grace is enough. We are invited into the service this morning with an acknowledgement that God will “graciously give us all things.” We respond by singing that our “desires have been granted in what He ordaineth” (Praise To The Lord, The Almighty) and that He will be our guide until death (Within Your Temple Lord—Psalm 48). We read in Romans 8 that “The Spirit helps us in our weakness” even when we cannot ask for help, and we respond with thanks for the grace and healing He gives (There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy). We prepare ourselves to hear the sermon by declaring that in the Lord we have “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” (Great Is Thy Faithfulness). After confessing our sins and receiving the Lord’s pardon, we are reminded to “wait upon the Lord” to provide, even when it seems beyond our strength (O Lord, Teach Me To Follow You—Psalm 27). During communion, we encourage one another to “be patient” and “fret not,” because God will “give thee strength” in all circumstances and “uphold you with His hand” (If Thou But Suffer God To Guide Thee; Fret Not Yourself—Psalm 37). We go out singing from the perspective of God Himself, echoing Isaiah 43: “When through fiery trials your pathways shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be your supply.” —Henry C. Haffner