Covered by Grace

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’” - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Teaching for over twenty years has caused me to notice scars on the arms, legs, and faces of my students. Some scars are superficial while others are deeply rooted. I often wondered about the story behind the scar.

You may not know this about me, but I have a scar on my face. I walked into the kitchen when I was pregnant with Andrew, my second son. Unbeknownst to me, someone left a plastic sippy cup lid on the floor. The graceful being I am slipped on the lid and fell. My skin broke open above my right eye. Before getting up, I noticed I was lying in a pool of blood. The head bleeds rather profusely when the skin is broken open. Who knew? Fortunately, Andrew was unaffected by my fall.

You may be someone who is marked by scars. Perhaps you have experienced physical abuse in your childhood or adulthood. Maybe your scars are invisible to the outside world but every time you look in the mirror, they reappear. You may have been victimized or abused by a predator who brought harm to you to gain power or money.

During professional development one summer, we were required to take a course on how to identify children who had encountered abuse. I read this story of a teenager who was beaten up at school by another girl. To ensure that she would never lose another fight to a bully again, her father stripped her naked, forced her to stand in the bathtub, and beat her with a belt or an electrical cord until she was black and blue. In his demented mind, he was helping to teach her how to defend herself. Can you imagine the physical scars left on the body of that teen, along with the emotional scars embedded in her mind?

The Apostle Paul spoke openly about the pain he suffered during his missionary journeys. “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:24-28 NIV).

There was another time in Paul’s life when he spoke of a thorn in his flesh. He believed this thorn, “was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure” (2 Cor. 12:7). We are uncertain whether his thorn was an actual person, poor eyesight, or something different that hindered him from preaching the gospel. What we do know is that Paul asked God three times to remove this thorn from his life.

How did God respond? By saying no. Instead, “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'" (2 Cor. 12:9). When is God’s strength made perfect? In our times of weakness.

My friend, I don't know why you have suffered such pain. What I do know is that we serve a gracious and loving God who has enough grace to cover our marks. That's why Paul said "His grace is sufficient". It's more than enough.

If anybody can relate to your pain, it's Jesus. He was beat, mocked, whipped, spat upon, ridiculed, and nailed to a cross with spikes driven through his flesh and bone. The people who sought to kill Him were not strangers, but His people. Scars marked Jesus's entire body.

So, why would Jesus leave His home in Paradise to die on a cross for our sins and suffer such pain here on earth? Because of His great love for us. John 4:19 says, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” Jesus loved you first.

Allow God to strengthen you today, my friend, through His Word. Let Him cover your pain with His unfailing grace. He’s done it for me, and I know He’ll do the same for you. We can never outgive God’s grace. And then remind yourself of these beautiful words from the Apostle Paul: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).

This is a chapter taken from my upcoming devotional book, Beauty Rises Again: From Brokenness to New Beginnings. Join me this Saturday, June 7th, at 8:00 a.m. to hear another chapter from my book entitled "God's Love Prevails."

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