My Grace Is Sufficient For You

When the telephone rings after midnight at my house it is usually followed by bad news. Last week was no exception. There had been a death in our church family; a death by suicide. There was a grieving mother that needed help. But how could I comfort her, especially under these circumstances? As I drove to her home I prayed and wondered just how I could minister to one confronted with such tragedy. Even as I walked up to the front door I was not certain exactly what to say or do. When the door was opened, I was embraced and hugged tightly. The tearful words, “Thank you for coming,” were whispered in my ear. In my heart, the words, “My grace is sufficient for you,” assured me that I did not have to do or say anything. The Comforter had arrived before me.

A few days later, as I prepared for a memorial service, similar thoughts occupied my mind. What message of hope and comfort could I share? What words could possibly be spoken to bring some sense of understanding and comfort to those suffering such loss? Once again God’s words, “My grace is sufficient for you,” came to mind, reminding me that the appropriate message for this memorial service, as with any memorial service, was a message of God’s love and grace. Even suicide cannot separate us from the love of God. His grace is sufficient even for this. One thing we can all be certain of is that God does not love us because we are good; He loves us because He is good.

Whether your need is to comfort others or to be comforted yourself, the God of all comfort declares, “My grace is sufficient for you.”