“Of his fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”  (John 1:16 nkjv)

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”  (2 Corinthians 12:9 niv)

You push your chair back and groan, “No, please stop. I can’t take another bite. There is just simply no more room!” And then out come the trays and cookie sheets, the pie, ice cream, berry cobbler, and more. You throw your hands up, “No, I simply cannot eat another bite!”

It is possible to be seated at a table so full of the grace of God that you have to say, “Stop, Lord! Enough, or I will simply burst.” Love and grace pouring on you so lavishly that it hurts . . . filling you up so wonderfully that it comes close to being painful.

There are many passages of Scripture that we will never understand in all their fullness. I remember reading, “Of His fullness we have all received grace upon grace” (John 1:16). I had the thought that we sometimes see God’s supply of grace as limited, something we should ration and conserve for the big trials, difficult temptations, and unstoppable sorrows of life. And I had to laugh to myself at the absurdity of such thinking. If only we could see the infinite supply that is ours for the asking.

How lovely it is to realize His grace in all things big and small. Here’s my list today:

I should be grateful to God for that morning coffee over devotions.
The sweet smell of clean laundry.
A hot bath at the end of a tiring day.
A beautiful sunset.
A delicious bowl of soup.
A sticky kiss from a grandchild.
A thoughtful compliment from a friend.
The sound of Greg softly breathing next to me tonight.

How wonderful is it to know that His grace will help me slog through the small trials too? There is grace for the way I feel in the long line at the grocery store, for the lost luggage at the beginning of an important trip, for the inconsiderate driver refusing to let me merge onto the off ramp of my exit, for the snippy remark from a cranky salesperson, for the one more thing that just got added to your long to-do list, and for the disappointment when a friend lets me down.

“My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness.”

C.H. Spurgeon wrote many years ago about the sufficiency of grace for every situation. It was as though some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry; and Father River said; “Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for you!” Or as if a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty, feared lest it should die of famine, and Joseph said, “Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for you!” Again, I imagine a man on the mountain saying to himself, “I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.” But the earth cries, “Breathe away, O man, and fill your lungs; my atmosphere is sufficient for you!

Go ahead, feast gratefully and frequently at the table of grace that stretches out of sight for eternity. Come for what you need in the small things too, any time, all the time. There is enough, more than enough for you.Cathe-0065