“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Cor. 12: 9
This precious promise from the Lord’s lips has been a strength to His people in their wilderness journey through this world, and will continue to be so in all generations. Only the Holy Spirit alone can remove the scales of sin left on the eyes of all the sons of Adam. When God begins a good work in the souls of His people, they become indeed a blessed people, and their experience indicates this, for they can say, “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” What do they see? They see the beauty of Christ and what an altogether suitable Saviour He is for such as they are. The language of their heart is: “My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.” Song of Sol. 5: 10.
Oh, how precious the souls of His dear ones are to Christ. He says to each one of them: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Yes, He says to Stephen, as it were, “My dear son, you had plenty of stones cast at you in this world and they were painful to bear, even unto death. But you are now at your desired haven of rest, happy in the knowledge that in this place no thieves can break through nor steal.” Nor can the inhabitants say any more that they are sick.
We remember how Jesus told his disciples to pass over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and they obeyed His command. It is our wisdom to do the Lord’s bidding. Notice carefully that they arrived safely at the other side. He alone knew what storms they were to meet with. Be glad, children of God, that this is still the case. Job had to say: “He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23: 10.
Christ said to Mary Magdalene out of whom he cast seven devils: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Not a hair of her head would perish, notwithstanding her grievous sins. It was through grace that she became a follower of the Lamb of God.
His grace was sufficient for poor Lazarus who was often clothed in rags. He had a lovely passage to glory — heavenly angels carried him to the place where there is no night. The Darling of heaven Himself was with them. At the cry of His poor ones He arose and rebuked the storm and it became a calm. Child of God, the same God shall continue to guide you to your desired haven. “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Heb. 4: 9. In this way they know Him as the Good Shepherd, and can say the psalmist: “Thy Spirit is good, me to the land of uprightness conduct.” Ps 143: 10.
The three Hebrew lads of whom we read in Daniel — Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego — were men who feared the Lord exceedingly even while still young. In their day they purposed in their hearts to follow the Saviour with the same resolve as Ruth had: “Where thou goest, I will go.” To this resolve they were kept faithful to the end of their journey.
How lovely His grace made the thief on the cross as he prayed to Jesus: “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Luke 23: 42. Who can tell but God will answer your prayer with the same reply that the thief received: “Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Yes, his grace was sufficient for Manasseh as well. However ruined you may be by your sins, through faith in His Name the promise will be made sure to you: “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
Oh for grace to admire the faith and love of Christ in exercise in the souls of Margaret Wilson and Margaret MacLachlan, these two defenceless women, who endured death by drowning in the Solway Firth for their faithful adherence to Christ’s crown and covenant, and to the salvation which He wrought out. He shall cause His people to hear on the day of judgment, as they stand before the great white throne: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matt. 25: 34.
Apart from those spoken of in the Bible, we ourselves know of men who at one time walked according to the way of the world. But God “had need of them” for the upholding of His blessed Cause, and for the gathering in of His wheat into His garner. To this end he imparted all needed grace to them according to His promise: “My grace is sufficient for you.”
The promise, “My grace is sufficient for you” was wonderfully fulfilled in the grace which was given to that eminent servant of the Lord, Rev Donald Macfarlane, when in the General Assembly of 1893 he was enabled to make his historic protest against the infamous Declaratory Act, an Act which sought to nullify the inspiration of the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. When he had placed his protest on the table of that Assembly he, with great dignity walked out of the door, never to return. In later years, the man of God, when in the company of close friends, including the Rev Neil MacIntyre, related with great humility the following experience. He said that for two years after he had made this stand, he had to record to the glory of God, that each time he preached, by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, blessing the Word, some sinner was made to cry: “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,” or a seeker was enabled to lay hold upon the Saviour. “It was but a little that I passed from them, when I found Him whom my soul loveth.” This was evidence to all, that not only was the protest made by this faithful watchman on the walls of Zion the means of saving the “city”, but he was also made the means used by the great Head of the Church in bringing many sons to glory.
During the 100 years since our beloved Church came into existence we were very often held up to the ridicule and scorn of the carnal world. Nevertheless a candle was lit in Edinburgh that day that is still shining brightly in many parts of the world. From time to time many colossal waves and billows went over the bridge of our Church, so to speak, but these all swept over with their full force and disappeared back into the mighty ocean from whence they came. It reminds us of the poor yacht tossed about on the mighty ocean, being buffeted by all the billows of the Bay of Biscay, and the swelling waves of the Gulf of Lions, but all these just broke over the bows and went out by the stern. In times of danger it was always noticeable that the Captain of the yacht was always to be found on the bridge, sometimes even throughout the long dark night. Dear Christian friend, this should be an encouragement to you to know that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Captain of our salvation, is the commander of the waves, and when He gives the command, “Peace be still”, there is a great calm.
“As round about Jerusalem
the mountains stand alway,
The Lord his folk doth compass so,
from henceforth and for aye.” Psalm 125: 2
Assurance is glory in the bud, it is the suburbs of paradise, it is a cluster of the land of promise, it is a spark of God, it is the joy and crown of a Christian.
— Thomas Brooks.