“I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all (Ecclesiastes 9:11,KJV)
Life under the sun is not particularly fair. Some people work around the clock tirelessly but reap minimal results. Others wake from bed and win a jackpot with no effort at all. The strong go into battle and lose and the seemingly weak come out victorious. Indeed, the race is neither to the swift nor the battle to strong men. Without the grace of God, life is unacceptably unfair and full of ups and downs. Thanks be to God however that grace gives to us believers a certain advantage that the world does not have.
We sometimes lose sight of the work of grace when all is smooth and rosy in life. However, grace is what keeps a man in all situations of life. Every individual at certain points in time is faced with adverse situations he has to grapple with, but the advantage of the believer is that he has grace to help him overcome life’s troubles.
Grace is a maker and a sustainer. Paul, the apostle, said, “ but by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 5:10). Grace not only puts a man in the ministry but also keeps him through till the end. Every now and then, people are burdened with the pressures of life and the worry of tomorrow. What must be kept in mind is that, it is the grace of God which keeps a man in every affair. Paul knew this and so said, “ I am what I am by the grace of God.” Counting on the grace of God is the surest way to trust God with your life and all that pertains to it.
It should be noted that worrying does not change the state of affairs. It rather depresses us and blocks the grace of God from reaching out to us. Your assurance of a breakthrough in life is dependent on your calm assurance and dependence on the grace of God deposited in your spirit with which you brave the storms of life. Thus, through Paul, the apostle’s buffeting, the Lord told him,”…My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness….” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Moreover, grace is a function of knowledge and it multiplies as a man increases in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. “ Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2). Thus, as one consistently gains knowledge, he grows in the grace available to him. 2 Corinthians 9:8 therefore declares, “ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” The sufficiency of grace is what empowers you to abound in every good work you do. God is more than able, just contact the right knowledge and grow in grace.
As a believer, it is your right to live in fruitfulness. Everything must necessarily work together for your good because the word of God says so. However, you must contact grace to see its manifestation. Thus, every effort of the believer must be geared toward harnessing grace for life and for ministry. Grace keeps you in life’s adversities and empowers you to labour tirelessly in the vineyard of the Lord.
Know that everything works out for your good because you are a child of God and so the grace of God is at work in you. Count on the grace of God to take you through this life. Grow in this grace and in the knowledge of the Lord to reign in life. Shalom !!!
