Know Your God

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

To understand this scripture you must first understand the terms used here starting with "grace". Grace is simply the goodness of God, a fruit of the Spirit, God giving to you what you don't deserve. Sufficiency (used here as sufficient) simply means "of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement BUT without being abundant). Pardon me for the vocabulary lesson, but it is necessary for FULL understanding of this Word. Infirmity (used here in its plural form, infirmities) is "the state of being weak in health or body". Now we can interpret this scripture as saying God's grace is all you need, nothing less and nothing more. When you are at your weakest that's when His strength is most evident. So no matter how weak, unhealthy (both physically and mentally), or hurt you are STILL, with gladness, give honor to His name. There isn't anything you are going through that God didn't qualify you to deal with. 

I've encountered some strong individuals throughout my lifetime and I often say to myself "I don't know how he/she is holding up so good with all he/she is going through" Then I'm reminded of this scripture along with many others that talks about God's strength in us; Isaiah 40:29, Isaiah 41:10, Exodus 15:2, just to name a few. 

Often times it's not what you have before you go into a situation it's about what God gives you while you're there. You have to be willing to do what you can with what you have.; knowing that what little you have is sufficient. In church, a few weeks ago, one of our associate pastors told a story about having a job at the candy store when he was a boy. Every week he would send his bigger cousin to pick up his pay, which was a hand full of candy. One day the owner asked why he never picked up his own pay and he replied "because my cousin's hands are bigger than mine, they can hold much more candy". He concluded with "God's hands are bigger than our hands". Therefore what is big to us is small to God, what we can't bare God can, what we can't HANDle God can. Stop trying to handle it yourself, stop trying to carry what was never intended for you to carry! Cast your cares on the Lord because He cares for you. 

Know who your God is! He is God Almighty, The MOST High God, The EVERLASTING God, The Creator, a Provider, a Healer, a Comforter, Lord of Peace, Lord of Righteousness, etc. He doesn't have a history of calling out the most qualified people Abraham was old, Moses too was old, David was a Shepard boy, Jacob was abandoned and a imprisoned, Jesus was raised a carpenter, Paul (formerly known as Saul) was a blasphemer, and so on. None of them had easy lives but through prayer God prepared them, through faith God provided for them, and through grace God blessed them.