jackson david 2hjzf52ur9k unsplash 1

Strengthened by Grace

2 Timothy 2:1-2 — You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

 

Have you ever gone through a season of time that, in the moment, felt unbearable? I have. The death of my son, Kaleb, at 15 years old is the hardest thing I’ve ever endured. I’m still enduring it. Before something like that happens, you reflect to yourself on how you would ever survive if something like that ever happened. You wonder how your marriage will hold up. You speculate on how you’ll be able to just keep existing. 

 

My wife and I experienced the worst reality imaginable on December 1st, 2019, and each day since has never been the same. Yet even this day, as you read this, we are kept by the grace of God. It is only the grace of God. Our passage today in 2 Timothy 2:1-2 tells us that for believers, there is a strengthening grace poured out to us in Jesus Christ. In Christ, we are strengthened by the teaching of the Word of God by faithful men. This comes through the ministry of the local church, and church universal. God gifts and equips saints of God for the purpose of edifying and strengthening the church. It is a means of His strengthening grace. 

 

That grace is real. It isn’t “churchy” talk. My wife and I can testify that God has met us each day in our grief from the absence of our son and helped us to just take the next step. He has provided us people, provisions, and power. 

 

Friends, He offers the same to you in whatever circumstances you face. In fact, even now, your ability to stand under the weight of anxieties, depression, pain, sadness, and a host of other ailments that accompany life in a fallen world, is by the grace of God. Jesus strengthens His people with grace for the day. You don’t need tomorrow’s grace. You need today’s grace, and He is faithful to give it.


Reflection & Journal:

- Why is the grace God gives us daily? Why does God give it a step at a time?

- How are you encouraged today by God’s promise to strengthen you with His grace?

- Who can you encourage today with this reminder of God’s grace to strengthen them in whatever circumstance they face?