“MY GRACE SUFFICES THEE”
F. C. Mutton
It struck me that this verse draws together what has been before us as to maturity and grace.
We see maturity in Paul. No one was more mature than he, a man of profound intelligence, but also of profound experience. It was not only knowledge, wonderful as his intelligence was; it was balanced by formation and experience with God. And he was weakened; he was physically weakened. And the Lord was too; He says, “He weakened my strength in the way”, Psalm 102: 23. Jacob was also weakened; his thigh was dislocated. Why was this? In order that divine power, of which we have been hearing, might be in evidence.
It is our natural self-confidence, ability and intelligence—right as spiritual intelligence is in its place—that tend to make us independent, and God comes in and may put His finger upon us in some way—certainly not to discourage us, but that we might hear this word from the Lord, “My grace suffices thee; for my power is perfected”—an extraordinary word that—“in weakness”.
So Paul had this very trying test, and it was not to be temporary; it was to be permanent; it was not to be taken away; in order that in his maturity he might prove divine grace and be a vessel for the perfecting of Christ’s power.
Well, dear brethren, I think this is encouraging because we all feel weakness, at least I hope we do, and I think we do—maybe weakness in our places of work, or in the testimony, or in service. He is a poor man who does not feel weakness, who does not feel his need of constant grace and strength. And it was to a weakened man that this word came. What a comfort it must have been! Paul did not just pray, it says he “besought” (2 Corinthians 12: 8), a very intense word; he besought, he pleaded most urgently with the Lord that this disability, as he thought it, might be removed. And the Lord said, No; it is not going to be removed. But what a comfort this word would be, “My grace suffices thee”. It is quite sufficient for every situation, quite sufficient for every test, every limitation—‘ My grace’, the Lord’s own grace.
We have been reminded tonight of “the grace which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2: 1), and it is all-sufficient. Whatever your situation is, or mine, or anybody else’s, the Lord would say, My grace is adapted to that situation, and it is all-sufficient in that situation. And then, “my power”, the incomparable power of Christ, the ascended Man, who has led captivity captive (Ephesians 4: 8), and that power is perfected in weakness.
Well, dear brethren, may we experience this. It does not matter really, does it, what happens to us, so long as Christ is glorified, and His grace and power are in evidence? May it be so, for His glory. Amen.
Word in meeting for ministry, Redbridge
6 May 1986