Job 17:3 “Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.
Who else will put up security for me?”

Job seems to have grasped one of the fundamental, yet somewhat counter-intuitive, truths of the Bible: God never requires anything of us that He hasn’t supplied. Often we don’t recognize His supply until we make the choice to give Him what He is asking, but if we will indeed make that choice, we will discover that His supply is always sufficient. This is true in every area of life. Paul was explicit about it both in the area of finances (Philippians 4:19) and emotional/physical strength. (Philippians 4:13) Our difficulties come when we fail to believe and trust this to be true. Almost all the time, dread of something is even worse than the thing itself. For the Christian, that certainly includes even death itself. When we know we are facing something difficult, we, like Job, can ask God with confidence for whatever we will need to get through it. However, that doesn’t mean that the result will be whatever pie-in-the sky scenario we dream up. We have to trust God that His solution is going to be good, whether or not it matches what our very limited minds can imagine. Here again Paul has some cogent insight: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Many, many times I have experienced God getting me through situations and enabling me to to do things that I would not have thought beforehand I could handle. That has given me a willingness to try new things that surprises some people. I certainly can’t say that everything God has asked of me has been easy, but He has always gotten me through it. Had they been easy, I wouldn’t have grown in the process! That has made me very much a “the glass is half full” sort of person. Actually, rather than “it’s half full,” it’s more, “it has enough in it.” Even so, I still have moments when I get anxious, and they are reminders that I will always have room for growth. After all, when God required atonement for my sins He supplied His own Son as that atonement. That is the ultimate example of this principle.

Father, this is a very powerful truth. What You said yesterday and what You have just said fit together in a very important message. Guide me in recognizing the organization You want it to have so that it will communicate as effectively as possible to those who need to hear it. Guide me, not just in the pulpit but in every interaction, in communicating Your absolutely incredible grace and love to those who recognize their need for it, so that they may open their hearts to You fully and receive Your abundant supply, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!