We study God through His Word. Our goal is to present the truth of God in a way you can digest and apply. Today, we’ll tackle the sufficiency of God found in 2 Corinthians 12:1–10.
Right now I don’t have enough time to accomplish everything on my to-do list.
I don’t have enough energy to do all the things I want to do.
I don’t have enough money to buy everything I want to buy.
I don’t have enough compassion to love people like they want to be loved.
I don’t have enough willpower to stay away from some of the things that do me harm.
Everywhere I look, I see evidence of my insufficiency. That’s a fancy way of saying I don’t have what it takes to meet my own needs or the needs of others completely. There are lots of days that are frustrating to me.
But where I am insufficient, God is sufficient. We learned to sing it this way as children, “They are weak, but He is strong!”
As we work together to study who God is, we’ve got to learn this critical lesson about God’s character.
God is sufficient.
In other words, God is enough.
There is no need in your life right now that God cannot meet. In fact, in Theology You Can Count On, Tony Evans points out that God is sufficient to meet five kinds of needs.
1) Spiritual needs
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul (Ps. 23:2–3).
Can you give yourself peace? Can you force yourself to experience restoration? Yeah, me neither. But God is able! He is sufficient to care for the needs of our souls.
2) Directional needs
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Ps. 23:3).
Do you feel ill equipped to make decisions about the direction of your life? Do you look at the path ahead and wonder where you should go to college, who you should marry, what you should choose for a career? You may not be able see the best choice all on your own, but God is able to direct your path so that your life glorifies Him.
3) Emotional needs
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Ps. 23:4).
Tony writes about this verse this way: “When sheep get lost, they come between two mountains or two crevices, and if it is the right time of day, the sun casts a shadow over the path. Not being very smart, the sheep see the shadow and think night is coming. Of course, sheep are afraid at night. David says that when the shadows of life come over us and we think we have no hope and things are out of kilter, God stands by us with His rod and staff.”
Do you find yourself between a rock and hard place today? If you are hurting, afraid, angry, or distressed, God is sufficient to care for the needs of your heart.
4) Physical needs
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want (Ps. 23:1).
David was saying, “God will take care of me. I will have all that I need.”
Do you need physical healing? God can do that!
Do you need food? God can provide!
Do you have a financial need? God’s accounts never run low.
Do you need rest? God promised He would give it to us when we ask.
There are times when you may be physically weak. Other times you are weak due to circumstances you cannot change. But God is sufficient.
5) Eternal needs
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Ps. 23:6).
I can’t do anything to earn my way into heaven. Neither can you. This is just another area where we are insufficient. But God is sufficient! He has provided a way for us to be eternally secure through His death on the cross.
No one likes to feel weak. But our weakness is only half of the story. God is sufficient. There is nothing in our lives He cannot handle. Our weaknesses are a bold reminder of His strength.
Paul said it this way: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9–10).
Paul said he was going to brag about his weaknesses, because they were an opportunity to put the strength and sufficiency of God on display.
Wanna follow his lead?
In which of the areas above (spiritual, directional, emotional, physical, or eternal) are you falling short? Your insufficiency shines a spotlight on the sufficiency of God.
Written by Erin Davis
