“I could never go through something like that.”
“What if it happens to me?”
“How do you cope? I’d never be able to. I’m not strong enough.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I wouldn’t be able to keep going.”
The aftermath of a broken home is a painful place. In the months that followed our family’s tragedy, these comments were made to me by women in my church—most of them with fear in their eyes that betrayed the fear in their hearts.
They had seen what happened to me and were terrified it would happen to them. And if it did, they didn’t think they could make it.
They looked at me like I was some kind of super-woman.
But I wasn’t.
I’m not.
I’m just an ordinary woman who has faith in an all-sufficient God Who gives the grace I need day by day.
So this is what I told them, what I still tell those who ask me how I make it through the hard days:
“You never have to be afraid that God won’t give you enough grace for whatever trial you face. He doesn’t give the grace you need until you need it. But when that day comes, when the storm is raging and the trials are bearing down on you, that’s when He gives the grace you need.”
God has never given me grace to fight cancer.
He’s never given me the grace to bury a spouse.
Or the grace to endure a house fire, a tornado, or a car accident.
Why? He doesn’t give me grace for these things because I haven’t needed it.
But He has given me grace to move my children from one country to another, grace while searching for a job and new home, grace to work long hours, grace during lean times, and grace to keep smiling when my heart was breaking.
God gave me grace upon grace upon grace. He never failed to give the grace I needed the moment in which I needed it.
In Deuteronomy 29:5, we are told in the forty years that the Israelites were in the wilderness, their clothes and shoes never became old. Imagine that—not having to buy clothes for forty years! They also never had to worry about planting, harvesting, or preparing food in all that time. God fed them manna from heaven daily.
However, once the Israelites reached Canaan, their clothes lost the super-powers. Their food supply from heaven stopped.
Why? Why didn’t God keep providing miraculous food and clothes that never wore out?
Because they were in the Promised Land, and they didn’t need these miracles of grace any longer.
And so it is with us. God doesn’t give us grace for things that will never happen to us. He gives what we need, when we need it.
To you who are going through a trial, a storm, a heartbreak today:
God will give you the grace to bear, the provisions you need, the strength to go on.
And to you who are worried about the future:
Rest easy. God’s got all your days in His hands.
And when the storms start to blow in, His grace will begin to rain down.
There will always be enough grace.
“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.” (II Corinthians 12:9)
For ordering information on my devotional book, Tales from Toddlers, click HERE.
Except for the grace of God, I would have been crushed long ago. You make excellent points!
I hate to think where I would be without the grace of God. I praise Him that His grace is always, always sufficient.
Just the RIGHT amount of grace at just the RIGHT time. What an amazing God I serve! The verse on God’s strength showing thru my weakness has always been one of my most favorite. Thanks for your insight Kimberly.
You’re very welcome, Evelyn! It’s one of my favorite verses as well. God’s grace and strength are always sufficient!
“Unless thy law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.” Psalm 119:92 I have found your article to be so true. His grace IS always sufficient….but I need to avail myself of this grace and not wallow in my pain. Thanks for great thoughts again.
You make a good point, Barb. Yes, God’s grace is always there. But we need to grab hold of it through claiming the promises of His Word and experiencing His presence in prayer.
This brought tears to my eyes thinking of how good God is and how much He cares for us. One of my all-time favorite verses is Matt 6:30. “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”
That’s a great verse, Holly! If we could only understand just how much God loves and cares for us, we would have a lot less worry in our lives.
Kim, I love your post. It is so true! I have experienced that truly amazing Grace in my life when my husband nearly bled to death from a bleeding ulcer. God’s grace surrounded me. I felt I could reach out and touch it.
I love the paragraph: “You never have to be afraid that God won’t give you enough grace for whatever trial you face. He doesn’t give the grace you need until you need it. But when that day comes, when the storm is raging and the trials are bearing down on you, that’s when He gives the grace you need.” That needs to be a tweet or a Pinterest post.
Joyce, thank you for sharing your story. I love that you wrote God’s grace surrounded you–His grace literally lifts us up in those moments of need. He is always sufficient.
I haven’t expanded to include Twitter or Pinterest on my blog yet, but I’ll be sure to include that paragraph when I do! 🙂
Right on Kim. I heard many say things like that to me when dealing with my daughter having cancer. God’s grace was there each step of the way and the only way we could get through each day with hope and a good attitude was through HIM. HE provided and is still working but the abundance only came when needed.
Natalie, you were on my heart as I was working on this article last week. Watching you walk through the storm of fighting your daughter’s cancer has been inspiring and faith-building. And whenever I worried about you not coping (being so far away from your family on the mission field), God reminded me that I could trust Him to give you enough grace.
Kim, thank you for sharing your heart. Yes, God’s grace is abundant and all-sufficient, and He always gives grace right on time. Your words and verses are so encouraging, as I’m going through a grace-filled time right now. Another verse to add to the mix is Psalm 61:1-4, which speaks of crying to the Lord when our hearts are overwhelmed … and He hears us from the ends of the earth.
Thank you, Tisha, for sharing those verses with us. I find Psalms to be of such comfort when going through hard times. David often pours out his heart in anguish, but always ends up praising and trusting God.
I am in a storm and today was really hard. But these truths resonate with my soul. I discovered your ministry for the first time about a week ago on Facebook and I am blessed daily by your words of encouragement. Thank you so much for your ministry.
Thank you for your kind comments, Heather. Messages like yours keep me going! The storms of life are hard, and can be so heartbreaking. But God always gives the grace we need. I’m praying for you!
Thank you Kim I needed this today!
You’re very welcome! I praise God for His all-sufficient grace!
I’m glad you posted this today. The Lord used this to encourage me and to remind me of who he is and what he says. I’m going through a battle right now and this helped me remember his promises. Please pray.for me.
Yes, I will certainly pray for you. May you know the grace and love of Jesus in a very special way today.
GOD has given me grace through 2 abusive mirages, he has helped me watching over and caring for my husband that died from cancer in 2001. God has given me grace to go through 3 cancer surgeries and 4 different kinds of cancer myself and I am now cancer free for 9 years. There have been times in my life that I thought I was tough and didn’t need GOD and I am so glad that he did not give up on me and got me through the drugs and alcohol. Now he has given me a husband that has Parkinson’s to care for and love and he loves me. I read GOD’s word and talk to him everyday. Thank you for your testimony and encouragement.
I praise God for bringing you through and giving you grace! His grace is always sufficient, and His love for us is endless, far beyond what we could ever comprehend. Thankful for you, my friend!