If I concluded God’s Grace is Sufficient to help me endure suffering, why couldn’t I experience sustained Rest with this knowledge? Why didn’t I feel consistently satisfied? What I discovered my heart was really asking was, “Is God Enough?”.

What I had felt lacking

I recently wrote a bible study on Hebrews entitled, Greater Still. Hebrews was written to encourage us (and the Jews of the day in particular) to endure the trials set before us by looking to Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, who offered the perfect sacrifice of His sinless life and is now mediating on our behalf so that we may draw near to the very Throne of a Holy God and not shrink back from our faith.

By the end of the letter, the writer of Hebrews succinctly instructs his readers that being content is the not so secret ingredient in the hearts of those who live their lives with freedom and confidence. Being content is being satisfied, finding what you have sufficient. I certainly did not find what I had sufficient. I found it woefully lacking. I had experienced two miscarriages, my father died in a tragic auto accident, and now my firstborn was also gone from this earth. Is God really asking me to be content when a part of my heart is no longer here with me?

Is there something I want more than God

The writer of Hebrews ties contentment with the Lord’s promises to never leave us or forsake us. When I am sitting alone in my rocker in the stillness of the morning, quietly crying out to God, His Spirit asks me, “Am I Enough?”. In other words, will I be okay if God stripped away everything from my life but Himself? No husband. No children. No nice, comfortable home. No family or friends. No good health. No satisfying work. No shopping for shoes. No watching sports or movies. Just simply God and me. When God promises to never leave me or forsake me, He is promising me Himself. And He asks me if that is going to be enough. Or is there something I want more than God?

Finding God Enough

When I got to the point of being able to say, “okay Lord, You are enough. I am content with just You. If I had nothing but You, I would still be okay,” then He led me to boldly and courageously say, “God will help me so I don’t have to fear anything man could do to me.”

God will never leave me. He is always with me. His Spirit testifies the Truth of this to my spirit. God will help me with the power of His might. His strength is made complete in my weakness. Trusting these promises is the key to not being afraid, but instead being content.

Resting in Him

And there it is. The struggle that comes up over and over is one of trust. Do I trust God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do or not? He has been building memorial stones of trust in my life. Why would I doubt Him? Even when I am in the midst of a great struggle, I can look back on my life and see the memorial stones of trust He has built. My trust in Him has been tested, and He has proven Himself faithful time and again. He has never not been faithful. Because He alone is enough, my entire perspective is changed to see all the blessings He gives are enough. And I am therefore content to Rest in Him.

Be content with what you have, for He has said
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  
So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my Helper;
    I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5,6 ESV