PSALM 18:1-2 – I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
THEME OF THE DAY: JESUS IS ENOUGH. Ask any Christian if today’s theme is true, and immediately the response would be something like, “Of course. Absolutely. He is always enough.” Now ask a Christian who is going through deep waters of trials and feeling like a drowning man or woman if Jesus is enough. Ask the believer who is suffering a loss of a loved one and the sorrow feels unbearable if Jesus is enough. Then quiz a believer who has fallen to the same sin for the umpteenth time if Jesus is enough.
It is not difficult to profess, even with a smile, that Jesus is enough when life is manageable, trials not too difficult, and our spiritual battles seem to be leaning on the winning side. But what about when the bottom falls out and our hearts are heavy? Those are the times when our profession of “Jesus is enough” is tested and proved; when the realities of His Person and all He is to us as revealed in today’s scripture becomes personal and alive. And this is His desire for us.
The Lord wants us to be able, with confident faith, to proclaim with words and demonstrate by lifestyle to a watching world of believers and unbelievers that the Lord is our rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, horn of our salvation, and stronghold. Basically, that He is enough and that means He will put us into situations to not only profess these glorious truths of the Lord Jesus, but to abandon ourselves to them as our only hope and stay. Remember these words of Peter for they define the experience we are describing – grievous trials pointing us to the glorious Savior – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3-7).
Yes, when the storms of difficulties and the gale force winds of suffering and sorrow come crashing into our lives, we truly learn Jesus is enough, His promises sure and alive, and His presence the only safe and secure refuge from those raging storms. So, as those storms come, stand tall in the strength that is in Christ and prove His faithfulness; allow Him to reveal Himself to us for our joy and His glory that He is enough, now and forever!
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for providing all I need in Your Son in all the challenges of life.”
QUOTE: “Jesus will truly be enough for us when we are in situations that He is all we have.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim