2 Corinthians 12:9
You can make it through this because: “My grace is sufficient for you; My power is made perfect in your weakness.”
In 1983 Miyamato created a game for Nintendo called Mario Brothers, which featured two brothers, Mario and Luigi, defeating creatures from below. The two brothers attempt to reach a flag by dodging or overcoming various obstacles. Some are easy to overcome, others require help. One such “help” came in the form of a star.
The star gave the Mario brothers the ability to phase or go through any obstacle. The star provided the brothers with the ability to phase through obstacles, which could otherwise cause their defeat. The star provided the necessary power needed to go through any obstacle.God does that for us.
Obstacles threaten to defeat us on our way to Heaven, but God graciously provides a Star that gives us the power to go through any obstacle. Obstacles from below threatened the Apostle Paul. He records an assessment and affirmation. The assessment included God’s grace and power contrasted with Paul’s weakness.
The affirmation included God’s sufficiency and power. Because of God’s sufficient grace and perfect power, He assured Paul of strength for a difficult situation. God promised His Unmerited Favor and Unmitigated Force. When we are weak, God promises enough grace and plenty power to overcome obstacles.
For example:
Some of you know the story and some of you do not. The angel of the Lord woke a sleeping, terrified and depressed prophet, twice and fed him to prepare him for a difficult journey ahead (1 Kings 19:5-8). The Lord Jesus prepares you for the journey by giving you the grace for the day. His mercies are new (tailor-made) every morning (Lamentations 3:23).
You say, “I don’t know how I could. . .” You fill in the tragedy. Truthfully, without God’s grace you can’t, but His grace is sufficient and He will give you the grace you need to prepare you for the journey.
Some of you know the story and some of you do not. God created man and gave him a standard, which man promptly disobeyed. This act propelled sinful man from the presence of Holy God. Yet, God took the initiative to bridge the broken relationship, to save humanity by invading history, to provide sinful humanity a path, a way back into His presence.
The God-man Jesus, the Angel of the Lord, the dawning Day Star (Malachi 4:2; Matthew 2:2; 2 Peter 1:19) died and after three days in the grave, rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:4).
Scriptures declare Jesus as that Star, the Day Star, who gives us the ability to overcome any obstacle. In Christ we are more than overcomers (Romans 8:37). The Mario brothers energized by a star possessed limited power; it lasted only for a season.
The power Jesus offers provides continuous, unlimited power (2 Corinthians 12:9). Christ’s resurrection from the dead was our rehearsal because He died and rose from the dead for each of us.
If we accept the substitutionary work of Jesus on the cross, we can die in hope of the resurrection. We, too, will overcome death, that final enemy, if we trust Christ’s death and resurrection.
~Live Well. Hope Well.
In His Service,
Thomas McSwain
Pastor-Teacher
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