Your Grace Abounds in Deepest Waters
"Your grace abounds in deepest waters," comes from the song, Above the Waves (Where Feet May Fail), by Hillsong. I've been using the lyrics of this beautiful song as a framework for this book/blog. The overarching theme is trusting in Jesus, and most recently, I’ve been writing about trusting God when it really hurts-in the deepest waters.
God’s grace, in other words, his unmerited lovingkindness, is available to all who cry out to Jesus. It’s a promise that we can trust in, as stated in 2 Corinthians 9:8,
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
There is nothing said here about God making our problems go away, though he can do that, but it does say that because of His grace, we have everything we need, at all times (even in the most painful times). To abound means, “to be present in great quantity,” (Merriam Webster). And the reason God does this? It’s not only for our own comfort. He cares about that, but it’s not the most important thing. It’s so that we can “abound in every great work.”
Remember, God’s purpose is his glory. As we experience God’s grace and comfort in times of pain, we are better equipped to in turn, pass along that comfort and encouragement to others when they are hurting, bringing glory to God our Father.
Sometimes God does take our problems away, as shown in many scriptures like this one,
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.” Psalm 107:28-30
Whether God chooses to remove our problems, or whether he chooses to walk us through them, allowing the pain to serve as a means to bring about growth, equipping us for good works, we can be assured that we have everything we need, because His grace abounds.
An important thing to know, when experiencing deep pain, is that God loves you. He's seeking you out. You can choose to become bitter and angry through the pain, or you can turn to God through prayer, and allow a deeper relationship to develop as your learn to trust in Him.
I love what Jerry Bridges said about this in his book, Trusting God,
“There is no question that adversity is difficult. It usually takes us by surprise and seems to strike where we are most vulnerable. To us it often appears completely senseless or irrational, but to God, none of it is either senseless or irrational. He has a purpose in every pain He brings or allows in our lives. We can be sure that in some way He intends it for our profit and His glory”
For now, I’ll leave you with this song by Dustin Kensrue, called Of Crows and Crowns. The lyrics, “My love, how beautiful you are. My love is everywhere you are.” are something I hear as a prayer between someone and God. I pray that you will understand just how much God loves you, how his love is all around you, and how he sees you as beautiful. I pray that if you are in pain, that you will feel God's peace when you place your trust in Him.
Linking up with Kelly and Friends and the #RaRalink-up today.
