Greater Grace

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But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ . . . .That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. —2 Corinthians 12:9, 10

People write books on God’s grace. Books about transforming grace, saving grace, all-sufficient grace, powerful grace. . . . .amazing grace. There are acrostics to try and define grace, like “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” There are descriptions, like “Grace is getting what we don’t deserve while mercy is not getting what we do deserve.” Daily, God extends grace to me in unexpected ways—as I have strength to face new challenges, patience to withstand things that used to drive me crazy, extra hope to give me eternal perspective, opportunities to help others, and even grace to accept help when I need it.

But what about grace to face multiple deployments? Perhaps your marriage survived the first deployment. . . .barely. Then with the second deployment you were more prepared than the first, and took some steps to improve in communications and commitment. The third deployment came sooner than you expected and more frustration set in. Now you’re on what seems to be a never-ending course for more and more separation, loneliness, hard work under harsh conditions, and danger. . . . . what kind of grace will get you through those struggles? Let’s call it greater grace. Greater grace takes you from “I can’t do this anymore” to “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

I first studied “greater grace” with “ears to hear and eyes to see” when I read about Corrie ten Boom. Her heroic Christian family sheltered Jews from the Nazis in Holland during World War II. Their “Hiding Place,” as it was called, was a secret closet in their family home where the “guests” hid when enemy soldiers would come searching for them. It was when the family was suspected and then accused of hiding Jews that the ten Booms were taken to concentration camps in Germany as punishment. Corrie survived the atrocities, but most of her family did not. After being released unexpectedly in 1945, Corrie served others who were recovering from the wounds of war—eventually becoming an author and speaker who inspired many to persevere under impossible circumstances and forgive the unforgivable—with God’s grace.

It was the story of her father’s teaching about the timing of God’s grace which greatly impacted me years ago. I have never forgotten this teaching, and it has encouraged me time and time again. Instead of projecting the feeling of fear into the future, Casper ten Boom used an illustration that his children understood to convince them that God’s greater grace would be available to them when they needed it—and not before. As the story goes, one night Corrie expressed her fear of death to her father. “Father sat down on the edge of the narrow bed. ‘Corrie,’ he began gently,’ when you and I go to Amsterdam—when do I give you your ticket?’ I sniffed a few times, considering this. ‘Why, just before we get on the train.’ ‘Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things too. Don’t run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need—just in time.” The Hiding Place, p. 44

It really is a matter of trust in God—that He loves us and will give us the grace to endure when we need it. The grace for the fourth, fifth, sixth deployment will come—He promised. But it won’t come until we need it.

My favorite hymn to express this understanding is “He Giveth More Grace” found here on uTube. This hymn was written by a devout believer named Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932). Orphaned at a young age, and then later adopted by a Christian couple in New Jersey, Annie had a gift for writing poetry. This gift would later be her whole means of support, for Annie was stricken with crippling arthritis in her late teens and spent most of her life as an invalid in extreme pain. Even if you do not know the sweet melody of this old hymn, read the words in order to grasp what Miss Flint was urging us to comprehend:

“He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Chorus:
His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!”

There is grace for the moment, for the hour, for the trial, for the deployment. There is the provision of love, comfort, forgiveness, wisdom, strength, patience, joy, contentment, peace. . . . .if we will trust God for what He promises and then be obedient to His guidance. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16

Work cited:

ten Boom, Corrie, The Hiding Place (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 1971)

Information on Annie Johnson Flint at blessedquietness.com

Questions to Share:

1. Thinking that you need to use today’s limited strength to fight tomorrow’s battles is a prescription for fear and discouragement. Scripture says, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'” (Lamentations 3:21-24)

What can you trust God for that you are inclined to worry about?

2. When you look back at your life so far, how did God get you through past deployments? How can you trust Him to get you through future deployments?