Grace All Sufficient

“For this thing [his thorn in the flesh] I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 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. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, KJV.

The other evening I was riding home after a heavy day’s work; I felt very weary and sore depressed, when, swiftly and suddenly as a lightning flash, the text came to me: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” I said, “I should think it is, Lord:’ and burst out laughing. I never fully understood what the holy laugh of Abraham was till then.

It seemed to make unbelief so absurd. It was as though some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the River Thames said, “Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.”

Or, it seemed like a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt, after the seven years of plenty, fearing it might die of famine; Joseph might say, “Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.”

Again, I imagine a man, way up yonder on a lofty mountain, saying to himself, “I breathe so many cubic feet of air every year; I fear I shall exhaust the oxygen in the atmosphere”; but the earth might say, “Breathe away, 0 man, and fill thy lungs evermore, my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.”

Oh, brethren, be great believers! Little faith will bring your souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your souls.


Charles H. Spurgeon, quoted in His Victorious Indwelling, ed. Nick Harrison (Zondervan) p. 314. C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) was a powerful Baptist preacher and prolific author who ministered at Metropolitan Tabernacle in England.
Biblical allusions: Gen. 17:17; 18;12; 41:30-53; Matt 8:10,26
Note: Last week’s GN (God’s Guarantees pt 3) should read 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 instead of 1 Cor. 1:21,22.
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  • And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
  • “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

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