A Whisper Of Divine Assurance Series

OASIS WORD DIGEST

19th September 2023

A WHISPER OF DIVINE ASSURANCE

Bible Passage:

Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

OASIS WORD FOR TODAY

There is a limit to human endurance. No human being is a superman on earth. No child of God is, no man of God is. Nobody is.

We live in a body and world prone to weaknesses, faults, and limitations. Deep down in our hearts, every one of us carries burdens and challenges that sometimes feel insurmountable.

The Apostle Paul, a pivotal figure in the early Christian Church, too had his share of inner battles. In his letters, he hinted at a persistent challenge, a burden he bore, which he likened to a relentless "thorn."

The "thorn in the flesh" that Paul describes was not a mere passing discomfort. It was a persistent challenge, a constant reminder of his human frailty. Yet, in the depths of his plea to God for relief, came a whisper of divine assurance.

That assurance is the abundance of God's grace to finish strong. The grace of God is all a Christian needs to be able to fulfill his divine assignment on earth.

A proud mouse with a long beard is nothing before the cat. You are nowhere near the cut mark of perfection without the grace of God at work in your life. You are nothing to holiness without grace. Swallow your pride and fall on grace.

The first use of the word 'grace' in the Bible is found in Genesis 6:8: *“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”*

The Hebrew word used here to define grace is true 'hen'. Its derivative, Hanan, is often translated as “to be gracious” or “have mercy".

In Psalm 6:2, the Psalmist says,

“Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.”

You have probably heard ‘grace’ defined as unmerited favour. In the Bible, it is often paired with another great word, mercy, which of course, has a different Hebrew equivalent.

In the Greek and Hebrew biblical terms "Charis" refers to goodwill, loving-kindness, favour, in particular to God's merciful grace.

Exodus 34:6-7 gives another glimpse of grace and mercy in action. This verse perfectly connects Psalm 145:8-9.

The word for merciful here is rachum (ra-khum) which encompasses compassion, mercy and forgiveness. And the word for gracious is hanun, originating from the same root as hanan.

In Hebrew, these two words together read like poetry: “Adonai, Adonai, rachum v’hanun… slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness and truth.”

This means that it is only through the grace of God that we find favour, mercy, and strength to linger on in times of difficulty, weakness, and faults. In our moments of utter vulnerability, when we feel stripped of power, God's boundless (all sufficient) grace is most evident.

There is profound freedom in understanding that our worth isn't measured by our ability to withstand but by our willingness to surrender and rely on God's grace.

As you move through your day, be encouraged that it's okay to feel weak, to feel overwhelmed. Be reminded that it's in the valleys, where God's presence is most keenly felt.

In Psalms, 23:4 David said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me..."

Why would David not fear walking down the valley? He is reminded that he is not walking down the valley alone. He was aware that the Holy Spirit would never lead him to where the grace of God cannot sustain him. He was aware that anybody running on the ticket of God's grace has the backing presence of the Almighty. So he declared his reason for not being afraid, "For Thou art with me..."

When the world tells you to be strong, to push past your pain, pause. Breathe. And in that quiet space of surrender, in the heart of vulnerability, you'll find divine strength.

A strength far greater than any human resilience. It's the strength of God's grace, a grace that doesn't merely compensate but fills, uplifts, and transforms.

Do not be too hard on yourself over your failures and shortcomings. You are bound to make mistakes and learn. You are not immune to the failures and pressures of this life. But one thing is assured. GRACE TO FINISH STRONG!

As prior verses indicated, Paul realized the purpose of the malady was to maintain humility. This persistent "weakness" in Paul's life helped keep him from becoming conceited.

Instead, God assured him that His grace was fully capable of providing everything he (Paul) needed to endure this suffering.