Amazing Grace – All sufficient One
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. Psalm 119:114
As a young man, John Newton was not happy to be assigned by the Royal Navy to be part of the slave trade in West Africa. He was insubordinate and was harshly punished. Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to a merchant ship where he worked for a captain whose wife viciously mistreated him. He had, in essence, become a slave himself. He somehow escaped his life on the merchant ship and became a part of the crew on a slave ship, where he continued his immoral lifestyle. But this lifestyle was not exempt from hardships. Newton knew he had brought these hardships upon himself because of his poor choices. He said later of his poor choices: “Choosing the way of transgressors, I found very hard; they led to slavery, contempt, famine and despair.” He had reached such despair that he was tempted to throw himself overboard, but as he said later, “The secret hand of God restrained me.”
The Lord Has Promised Good To Me
Newton’s many trials and hardships gave him a profound understanding of God’s goodness and grace.
The Lord has promised good to me, his word my hope secures; he will my shield and portion be as long as life endures. Amazing Grace 4th Stanza.
Newton had seen that only a good God could rescue him from his immoral character. From his despair. He discovered that only God’s Word can give him a confident hope that is an anchor to his soul. Just like Newton, we can place our confident hope in His Word. In the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the living Word. This hope is available to us when we trust the God of all hope.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 (ESV)
This is the prayer that Paul prayed for the church at Rome. When we pray this prayer, we trust God to fill us with His joy and peace. We trust His unwavering, steadfast hope to overflow to us through the power of Holy Spirit. This hope, joy and peace are our portion, the good gifts that God has promised His children (James 1:17).
Just as Newton had the assurance that his good and faithful God was his shield, his protector and his portion, we too can have this assurance. We can know that God is the All-Sufficient One who promises good to us. The All-Sufficient One who takes care of His children. Who, out of His inexhaustible resources and power, gives us everything we need according to His riches in glory. What a blessed assurance!
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (ESV)
Reflection:
Have you placed your hope in the All-Sufficient One? He is able to provide for all your needs
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord Jesus, that Your Word is true. Fill me with Your joy and peace so that I can overflow with hope. Help me to have the blessed assurance that You are the All-Sufficient One who will take care of me and supply all my needs according to Your riches in glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
