ALL-SUFFICIENT GRACE

This was a good read this Sunday morning. It came in my mail box from Grace Gems.

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by John MacDuff, "The Faithful Promiser"

"God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
that you, always having all sufficiency in all things
may abound to every good work."
2 Corinthians 9:8

All-sufficiency in all things!
Believer!
Surely you are "thoroughly equipped for every good work!"

Grace is no scanty thing, doled out in pittances!
It is a glorious treasury,
which the key of prayer can always unlock--but can never empty!
It is a fountain--full, flowing, ever flowing, over flowing!

Mark these three ALL'S in this precious promise.
It is a three-fold link in a golden chain,
let down from the throne of grace, by the God of grace.
"All grace!" "all-sufficiency!" in "all things!" and these to "abound."

Oh! precious thought!
My need cannot impoverish that inexhaustible treasury of grace!
Myriads are hourly hanging on it,
drawing from it--and yet there is no diminution.
Out of that fullness we, too, may all receive, "grace upon grace!"

My soul, do you not love to dwell on that all-abounding grace!
Your own insufficiency in everything,
met with a divine "all-sufficiency in all things!"

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Grace in all circumstances and situations!

Grace in all vicissitudes and changes!

Grace in all the varied phases of the Christian's being!

Grace in sunshine--and in storm!

Grace in health--and in sickness!

Grace in life--and in death!

Grace for the old believer--and the young believer.

Grace for the tried believer,
and the weak believer,
and the tempted believer.

Grace for duty--and grace in duty.

Grace to carry the joyous cup with a steady hand --
and grace to drink the bitter cup with an unmurmuring spirit!

Grace to have prosperity sanctified--and grace to say through tears,
"May Your will be done!"

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"God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things--may abound to every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8


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God's grace is priceless. May I rest in His grace more each day.

Like Sugar in our Tea!

Got this little devotional in my email. Thought I would share it here.

Like Sugar in our Tea!

by James Smith, "Comfort for the Christian"

"Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things!"
Matthew 6:32

God will display His wisdom--in promoting the eternal welfare of all His children.
God's ways are not our ways.
They are always profoundly wise;
and His wisdom will in the end
stand conspicuous and glorious
n His paternal dealings with all of His children.

"For what son is not chastened by his father?" Hebrews 12:7
Beloved, if God is our Father--He will chastise us!
We need it!
We deserve it!
We shall have it!

But He will mix mercy with every affliction.
Like sugar in our tea--it sometimes lies at the bottom,
and needs stirring up!

But there is always mercy there!
A cup of unmixed wrath was put into the hands of Jesus
that such a cup might never be put into our hands!

There is sweetness, in the bitterest cup which our Father gives us!

Let us therefore look for the sugar--as we sip the bitter potion!

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May we all sip our tea with gratitude especially in the most difficult of times.
It isn't easy to be thankful when things are rough.
We don't all go through the same things either,
but our God is with each of us
and knows our hearts, our hurts, our desires.
He knows our failings, and our successes.
He knows us and loves us as we are.

I can be up one day and down the next,
but God is forever the same,
holding and enfolding us in His tender loving care,
telling us all will be well.

May I keep my heart fixed on Him
as I walk my journey in this life.

Fearfully and wonderfully made

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,
thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down,
and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue,
but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before,
and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee;
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvellous are thy works;
and that my soul knoweth right well.

My substance was not hid from thee,
when I was made in secret,
and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being unperfect;
and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me,
O God! how great is the sum of them!


Taken from the KJV Bible Psalm 139.

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Hazelyn McComas said: "This is what I believe: We were with God in the beginning. I do not understand that exactly - what we looked like, what we did all day, how we got along, any of it. Then we were sent here. And I am not sure that I understand that very well, either. And I believe that we are going home to God someday, and what that will be like is as much a mystery to me as any of the rest of it.

"But I believe those things are true and that what we have here on earth in between is a longing - for the God that we have known and for the God that we are going home to."

Our being known by God does not begin when we first recognize it or when we acknowledge it or even when we make our first struggling attempts to come to grips with what it might mean for the creator of the universe to know us and choose us. It begins at the beginning, when we are first imagined into being.

The journey between the dreaming and the coming true is a journey. A journey made through silence and longing where, if we will listen, we can hear the whisper of the Dreamer (God) echoing deep within us, calling us to become what the Dreamer sees when our names were first whispered.

Excerpt from the book "Between the Dreaming and the Coming True - The Road Home to God by Robert Benson.

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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:1-4


May we all stop to listen to that still small voice,
that whispers to each of us,
in love, in faithfulness, in forgiveness.
May we learn each day,
and may we look forward to,
with great joy and longing,
seeing Jesus our Creator and God,
face to face.

The Eternal God ...

The eternal God is thy refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms
Deuteronomy 33:27

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The eternal God is thy refuge,.... God is eternal,
from everlasting to everlasting;
the Ancient of days,
before all things, and all time;
which is, and was, and is to come:

the same is true of Christ, who is the everlasting Father,
or Father of eternity, the true God, and eternal life;
as appears from his nature, having the whole fullness,
all the perfections of deity in him;
from his office, as Mediator, in which he was set up from everlasting;
from his concern in eternal election,
in the everlasting covenant,
and in the creation of all things out of nothing.

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and underneath are the everlasting arms;
that is, of God, which are the support of his people,
and their protection, safety, and security;
such as the arms of his everlasting love,
which encircle them, and compass them about as a shield

Scripture from the KJV Bible

Commentary by Dr. John Gill (1690-1771)

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Grace Gem for today

"Look unto Me!" Isaiah 45:22

A new morning opens upon us--and we are still exposed . . .
to sorrow,
to Satan, and
to disappointment!
Sin lives in us--and a thousand things are ready to distress us!

But our God says, "Look unto Me!"

Look unto Me . . .
as the source of happiness,
as the giver of grace,
as your Friend!

Look unto Me . . .
in every trial,
for all you need, and
in every circumstance.

Look unto Me TODAY, I have blessings to bestow! I am waiting to be gracious to you!

Believe that I am deeply interested in your present and eternal welfare!

Believe that I will perform--all I have promised!

Believe that I am with you--on purpose to bless you!

I cannot be unconcerned about anything that affects you!

I pledge Myself to make all things work together for your eternal good.

You have looked to SELF, and to others, in times past--

and you have only met with trouble and disappointment!

Now look unto Me ALONE!

Look unto Me FOR ALL!

by James Smith

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Look unto me,
and be ye saved,
all the ends of the earth:
for I am God,
and there is none else.
Isaiah 45:22

God will do us good

We know not what this day may bring forth


"I will surely do you GOOD!" Genesis 32:12

Though this promise was given to Jacob, it was not confined to him--but is intended for all his spiritual seed. It is thus that God speaks to US this morning. How gracious!

We know not what this day may bring forth--but we do know that our God, who superintends every event, will do us good.

We may mistake as to what will be for our good--but He is infinite in wisdom and goodness, and therefore cannot mistake. We may look at afflictions, losses, and crosses, and cry out, "All these things are against me!" But read the history of David. What a train of troubles attended him! Hear his acknowledgment: "It is GOOD for me that I have been afflicted!"

Your God will do you good--therefore He will try you, sift you, humble you, and prove you. He will give you needed bitter medicine--as well as food. He will consider nothing too expensive, or too painful--if necessary for your soul's welfare.

Look at your trials, and say, "This also shall turn to my good!"

Look on the past, and acknowledge, "Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life."

Look to the future, and rejoice, "The Lord will surely give me that which is GOOD."

Look in every direction, and say, "Surely the Lord will do me good--I will trust, and not be afraid."

(James Smith, "The Pastor's Morning Visit")

This inspirational piece came in my mailbox this morning
from

Grace Gems.

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Chosen with an everlasting love

Long before any human being saw us,
we are seen by God's loving eyes.

Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh,
we are heard by our God who is all ears for us.

Long before any person spoke to us in this world,
we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love.

Our preciousness, uniqueness and individuality
are not given to us by those who meet us in clock-time
-- our brief chronological existence --
but
by the One
who has chosen us with an everlasting love,
a love that existed from all eternity
and will last through all eternity.

Henri J.M. Nouwen