God is Sufficient

And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6

Do you find God is sufficient in your time of trouble and suffering?

Or do you moan and complain and utter a bunch of desperate woe is me’s? Do you ask why is God allowing this to happen to me? Why won’t God help me? Does God even care?

Who are you asking? Who are you talking to? Friends, family, dead air?

Instead of asking your questions with a random group of people like you’re taking a poll or a survey, take your questions to the One with all the answers, God. He’s happy to answer any question you have. Let me caution you, so you’re not surprised, he will answer in his own time and in a way that may not make sense to you. So, wait in faith. Be patient. Stay in prayer. Be on the lookout for Him. 

“Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let your joy overflow! And let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near. Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.” Philippians‬ ‭4:4-7‬ ‭TPT‬‬

When you don’t know what to do remember Christ is the sufficient answer to all your needs! The righteous person looks at their problems with eyes of faith instead of with eyes of fear or failure. Keep your focus on Jesus. Hold on tightly to your faith and continue talking and praying to the Holy Spirit. He will come through for you. Stay the course “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭‬‬

Jesus kept his eye on the prize, to finish the race so you and I could receive the free gift of salvation, forgiveness, healing, righteousness, and more. Run your race as Jesus did his, with endurance, with purpose, with a vision for the future. Like Jesus do not let problems, fear or doubt knock you off course. Arm yourself with some ‘it is written statements’ as Jesus did in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-11 NIV. Use them to encourage yourself and fight the lies of your enemy. 

Seven years ago, when I was on my first mission trip to Honduras I was suffering terribly from allergies. It was not uncommon for me to be having issues that time of year, it was the spring season with everything in bloom much like it is today. The difference was I wasn’t in Oklahoma where allergies seem to dominate, I was in Honduras, just to be safe I had taken an allergy shot a week before leaving so I wouldn’t suffer with allergies! Apparently it didn’t take. I was miserable from the time we landed, I was sneezing uncontrollably, eyes itchy and watering, my head felt heavy and detached at the same time, I think I went through a box of tissues in four hours that’s how bad it was. I took all kinds of medicines whatever anyone on the trip offered I took it! For two miserable days I sneezed, I blew, my eyes watered and itched, my head and my whole body ached. I couldn’t breathe my nose felt swollen. I was a mess, nothing was working.  But God….on that second night I took an Alka seltzer nighttime thinking sleep would help, ha! I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep. I just lay there tossing and turning hoping for sleep. I didn’t want to wake my husband with my restlessness so I picked up my Bible and randomly, nothing is random with God, opened my Bible to a scripture, thinking if I couldn’t sleep I may as well read something good. The scriptures I was “randomly” reading, in 1 Corinthians, made me realize I was relying on all things man made and not on Gods almighty power. I repented, I cried, I re-read the scriptures over and over realizing God could fix this, fix me. I didn’t have to suffer at all. I gave him those allergies, I no longer called them my allergies, as I always had in the past. How many of us do that in allergy season. Say, oh MY allergies are playing me up, or MY allergies are bad this year, or those cotton woods really mess with MY allergies. They’re not yours! Stop claiming them. You don’t claim a cold as yours or the flu do you? Then stop with the allergies. Anyhow, there I was with the Holy Spirit heavy in the air surrounding me. He showed me one particular lady on the trip was praying for me, praying in agreement with me, I felt those allergies literally lifting off me as they did I fell into such a peaceful restorative sleep. I woke up about 4 hours later feeling great, no more sniffles, sneezing, or watery itchy eyes and I haven’t suffered seasonal allergies since! Praise God! I was able to hand those suckers over and never ever take them back. Something just clicked in me reading in 1 Corinthians. He healed me, he was sufficient for me then and still is now and he is sufficient for you and whatever you may be walking through too!

I knew I was relying on man’s remedies for a temporary fix when the alternative was so much better. Faith in God gave me a permanent solution. 

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans‬ ‭8:26-27‬ ‭‬‬

“For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.” 1 Corinthians 14:14

When you don’t know what to do, as I didn’t, I had run out of remedies I thought ‘might’ work, read your Bible, take your issue to God and pray in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit not only knows your issues, but he also knows Gods plan for your life, so when you don’t know how to pray or what to pray he can help you by praying through you if only you will let him. Surrender yourself to him. He will do all the heavy lifting. He knows exactly what needs to be prayed. Trust him. When you pray with the Holy Spirit, in tongues, your special prayer language, things will come to you that you had no clue about otherwise. You will gain wisdom over your trouble. 

I had work to do on that mission trip and God had a message for me too. If I would’ve succumbed to those allergies I would’ve missed out on being a blessing and getting an amazing word from God himself. 

Keep speaking Gods promises over your life, this will help you stay positive in trying times. Remembering the things God has promised is a pathway to a brighter future. Don’t wallow in what you see in the natural. Find, read and meditate on Gods blessings and promises made to all his children. Find those scriptures that speak to your heart, that resonate with you, those that encourage you.

God invites us all to ask him questions, to share with him our deepest struggles, to bring our uncertainty and inner turmoil to him. He wants you to know he is sufficient for you, and he cares for you by answering all your questions, troubles and concerns. But….there’s always a but isn’t there? But, don’t be surprised by his answers. Don’t be disappointed by them. Don’t miss them. With all confidence I can say they won’t look how you expect them to. They may even seem strange and have you wondering is this really from God. Let me assure you, it is. Just like the scripture he gave me on my mission trip may have you scratching your head, perplexed how it worked for me, your answer may not make sense either, but if you can believe it came from God, just as I did, I promise you it will work for you too. It will be the answer you need have faith to see it and believe it. 

Gods’ goodness is never more apparent than at the center of our suffering. The evidence of His care and provision as well as the answers to our trouble and suffering are documented throughout the Bible. These events should be sufficient enough for us to be encouraged and to believe He is sufficient to deliver us from anything this world may throw at us.

Father God thank you for your sufficiency, thank you for supplying for every need, sickness, fear, despair, addiction, or lack. We recognize your power is all we need to rely on, and your sufficiency is enough. We thank you for working in our lives for giving us the Holy Spirit as our helper, would you please teach us to rely solely on you, to keep our eyes on you. Thank you for pouring out your grace on us. Amen