And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

 Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-9

A nineteenth-century book of illustrations and quotes says: “Look to Him as the Divine and only Redeemer, as an all-sufficient and ever-present Friend, as your wisdom, your righteousness, your sanctification, your complete, and full, and everlasting redemption.”¹

When the apostle Paul asked God to relieve an area of suffering in his life, the Lord left the suffering in place. But He wrapped it in soothing layers of grace—sufficient and more than sufficient. He’ll do the same for you. One day we’ll be free of suffering, but in this earthly life God doesn’t always take away our pains. Instead, He wraps them in His grace. He wraps Himself around us, and His grace is sufficient because He is more than sufficient. He abundantly satisfies us (Psalm 36:8), abundantly pardons us (Isaiah 55:7), and is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Ask God to help you appropriate His grace, learning you need no resource but Him. When you are weakest, His grace is strongest—for He Himself is our strength.

Do not despise your weakness, for it leads you to trust in God’s strength.
Henry Blackaby

1. “‘Looking Into Jesus’: A Motto for the New Year,” The Quiver (London: Cassell & Company, 1891), 235.

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And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

 Recommended Reading: Romans 8:28-30

Geng Shuai is called China’s “Useless Edison” because of his impractical inventions, such as a sword that doubles as a backscrubber and a meat cleaver that also serves as a cell phone case. His useless inventions have made him a social media star.

God never invented any useless thing! He has a purpose for all He has made, including you! Peter wrote that because of God’s promises and His power, we can participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). That is, we can become more and more like Christ, serving Jesus just as our Lord served His Father. That’s what it means to be “called according to His purpose.”

When we lean on the power and the promises of God, we become more like Jesus and less like the world. We who were useless in ourselves find our purpose in Him. We become vessels fit for the Master’s use.

Draw from His power and live on His promises. He will increasingly fulfill His purpose in you.

We exist to exhibit God, to display his glory. We serve as canvases for his brush stroke, papers for his pen, soil for his seeds, glimpses of his image.
Max Lucado

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Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord…. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters.
Jeremiah 17:7-8

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 92

Most of us at some point stop growing taller. We reach our maximum height. Not so with trees. A new study has found that trees never stop growing during their lifespans. In fact, as they age, their growth accelerates. The study, published in Nature journal, involved 38 researchers from 29 institutions who said it’s the older trees and their massive size that most helps the earth keep its air recycled and clean.¹

Psalm 92:14 says, “The righteous shall … still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.” 

When we’re rooted and grounded in Christ, we’ll keep growing in spiritual maturity, and God will use us in exciting new ways. This is encapsulated in 2 Peter 1:5-7 where the Lord tells us we should keep growing in our faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. “For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful” (verse 8).

Whatever your age—keep growing!

As a tree beside the water, has the Savior planted me; all my fruit shall be in season, I shall live eternally.
Alfred Ackley

1. N. L. Stephenson, et al. “Rate of Tree Carbon Accumulation Increases Continuously With Tree Size,” Nature, 507 (2014): 90-93.

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The Lord God planted a garden.
Genesis 2:8

 Recommended Reading: John 15:1-4

Faith is the soil in which all the other virtues grow. In 2 Peter 1:5-7, we’re told to have soul soil of faith and to let it produce increasing amounts of virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

If you’ve done any gardening, you know weeds come up naturally, but crops and flowers have to be cultivated. Adam and Eve were given the task of tending to the Garden of Eden, and we’re charged with tending to our own souls under the watchful care of the Master Gardener (John 15:1).

A preacher of yesterday, Mark Guy Pearse, said, “Gardens are made out of waste places…. Before the King can make a garden, He must own the land…. [But] if it be the King’s garden the King Himself will come to it.”

Let’s strive to be fruitful! Once we believe and have faith, we should devote ourselves to growing deeper in that faith, abiding in Christ, being fruitful, and producing the other virtues God loves.

Jesus says to us, “My son, give Me thine heart.” He wants the heart, not because it is a garden, but that He may make a King’s garden of it.
Mark Guy Pearse

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Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.
Romans 12:10

 Recommended Reading: Philippians 2:1-5

In 1681, England’s King Charles II granted William Penn, an English Quaker, a charter to establish what eventually became the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in America. Having suffered religious persecution in England, Penn wanted his newfound colony to be a place of religious freedom for all. Thus, he named what became the capital city Philadelphia—a Greek word for “brotherly love” (Greek philos means “beloved,” adelphos means “brother”). 

“Brotherly love” is an important subject in the New Testament epistles (Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 13:1; 2 Peter 1:7). A hallmark of brotherly (and sisterly) love is the choice to put the interests of others ahead of one’s own—to “honor” others by giving preference to them. Paul writes that we should imitate Christ in this regard, doing nothing out of selfish ambition but considering others’ needs ahead of our own (Philippians 2:1-5). We should settle grievances quickly, not letting them carry over to tomorrow (Ephesians 4:26-27). 

Look for ways today to express brotherly love to someone by putting their needs and interests ahead of your own.

Brotherly love is the badge of Christ’s disciples.
Matthew Henry

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[Daniel] was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.
Daniel 6:4, NLT

 Recommended Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32

It’s hard to trust people today, isn’t it? How many people are frustrated because of a spouse who was unfaithful, a friend who disappointed them, a salesman who was dishonest, or a doctor who misdiagnosed an illness? Rebuilding a friendship is difficult after a perceived betrayal has occurred.

We can’t always do a lot about others who are untrustworthy, but we can do something about ourselves—or rather, we can let the Lord do something within us. He is utterly trustworthy. Psalm 119:86 says, “All your commands are trustworthy” (NIV). Psalm 145:13 says, “The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does” (NIV).

As Christians, we’re to grow in His faithful love and kindness (Ephesians 4:25-32). One way to do this is by fostering trust in our relationships. Brotherly kindness begins with a trustworthy spirit—the willingness to be honest and kind. If you’ve been betrayed, seek to forgive. And in all your dealings, be someone who can be trusted with the cares, secrets, and confidences of others.

Ask God to help you grow in your ability to be trusting and trusted.

Among the blessings and enjoyments of this life, there are few that can be compared in value to the possession of a faithful friend.
James C. Gibbons

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This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Acts 2:32

 Recommended Reading: Acts 5:29-32

As we grow in Christ, we learn to engage in Gospel conversations with people. Norman Geisler wrote, “If we have God’s heart, we will do whatever we can to advance His kingdom purposes in every conversation we have with our nonbelieving friends…. Once our heart is right with God, we can begin to talk to people in a more effective way so that many may believe.”¹

It’s important to bring our Christian maturity into every relationship. People must see us as different—and different in ways they want to emulate. Then we look for opportunities to say a word, even if it’s as simple as: “I’ll pray about that for you.” The time will come when we can say: “Let me tell you about a verse I found today in the Bible,” or, “We’re having a concert at my church this weekend. Would you be able to come?”

As we try to live a godly life, we must remember we are God’s platform. Thank God for the opportunities that come your way and ask Him to keep you sharp enough to see them. 

Evangelism is every day and in every way helping your nonbelieving friends to take one step closer to Jesus Christ. 
Norman Geisler

1. David Geisler and Norman Geisler, Conversational Evangelism (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2009), 17.

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For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

 Recommended Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10

Gnosticism was a dangerous heresy in the first two centuries of the Church. Besides denying the divinity of Christ, Gnostics believed that salvation was achieved through elevated spiritual knowledge rather than through faith in Christ (Greek gnosis means “knowledge”). The letters of Colossians and 1 John were written, in part, to counteract the claims of Gnosticism.

Second Peter likely contained veiled attacks on Gnostic teaching. For example, instead of special spiritual insight available only to a few, God has given every Christian, through the “knowledge of Him,” “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” Through God’s “exceedingly great and precious promises,” we “may be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4). We are saved, not by mystical knowledge, but by grace “for good works” (Ephesians 2:8-10). God has given us everything we need to manifest Him in this world through the promises in His Word.

If you belong to Christ, you have been called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the presence of those who have not met Him.

We must come to good works by faith, and not to faith by good works.
William Gurnall

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And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4

 Recommended Reading: Hebrews 11:1-3

There is no word more central to biblical teaching than faith. For instance, 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (See also Romans 1:17.) But what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (NIV1984). Faith is not just hoping for something we cannot at present see. It is being “sure” and “certain” that we will in time see it. But what are we authorized to be certain of? Whatever God has promised in His Word. John 3:16 promises eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. Therefore, we can be certain, by faith, that we have eternal life.

This raises the question: How do we live in the gap between not seeing and seeing? What do we do while we wait for God to fulfill His promise? We persevere. Echoing Hebrews 11:1, Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” 

Biblical faith is characterized by perseverance. If you are in the gap, wait faithfully on God by persevering. 

We persevere through faith and never apart from it.
Sinclair Ferguson

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A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.
Proverbs 25:28, NLT

 Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-16

One of life’s paradoxes is how self-discipline gives us freedom. People without self-control live under the tyranny of whatever desires master them—pleasure, sleep, sex, indulgence, addictions, or hatred. When the Lord becomes the King of our life, He enables us to grow in the quality of self-control. It’s a fruit of the Spirit. As we’re released from our vices, we’re increasingly free to live healthy and happy lives.

To many people, the word freedom means doing anything you want whenever and wherever you want. But true freedom is impossible without constraint. Limitations don’t bring confinement—they enable freedom. Paul told Timothy, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV). Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…self-control.” 

Identify any area of life in which you find yourself in bondage. Ask God to help you to allow His Spirit to work in your heart so that you will experience true freedom.

Jesus, who lived such a remarkable life, has sent His Spirit to dwell in you. His goal is to reproduce Himself through you—the courage, the self-control, the love, everything.
Charles Stanley

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He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32

 Recommended Reading: Titus 2:11-15

Fred had no self-control, and he left a path of destruction behind him. He was a four-hundred-pound hog who got loose in Colorado last fall. He covered four miles over ten days, tearing up lawns and digging up roots along the way. He was finally captured by animal service agents, who found him a home at a local high school’s agriculture farm.

Too many people who lack self-control carve a path of heartache and destruction. Peter told us to add self-control to our knowledge (2 Peter 1:6), and Paul told Titus to bring self-control to the churches and Christians on the island of Crete (Titus 1:8). He said, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled” (Titus 2:11-12, NIV). 

Is there an area of your life needing more self-discipline? Ask for God’s help and work diligently on that area. Anyone who tells you otherwise is just speaking hogwash!

Not only is self-control strong, it is also beautiful. Anger is not beautiful. Ungoverned temper is not lovely. Rage is demonic. But a spirit calm, strong, and unflustered amid storms of feeling and all manner of disturbing emotions, is sublime in its beauty.
James Russell Miller

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Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
Jeremiah 6:16

 Recommended Reading: Luke 6:46-49

An American Old Testament scholar spent a summer studying in Jerusalem. He once listened to a Jewish rabbi recite the entire book of Psalms in Hebrew from memory. The rabbi didn’t miss a single word. In one sense, the rabbi knew the Bible, but in another sense he didn’t because he couldn’t see the Messiah—Jesus.

Likewise, there is a difference between knowing the way and walking in the way—a common biblical metaphor for the path one chooses to take. Jeremiah encouraged his hearers to seek the old, settled paths and “walk in [them].” And Jesus did the same: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) He went on to illustrate: The one who hears God’s words but doesn’t put them into practice is building a life without a foundation—destined to collapse (Luke 6:46-49).

Know the Bible? Yes! But the purpose of knowing is to discover the way in which to walk.

Apply yourself to the whole text, and apply the whole text to yourself.
J. A. Bengel

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