Is Jesus Enough?

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” -Lamentations 3:22-23

I love this verse. I have it up in our bathroom actually. I read it every day. It's been up there for a few years now. I guess when I "get it" I'll change to another verse, but for now it reamins taped to the mirror I look at each morning.

There is a song that we sing at church that I just can't seem to belt out like the others. The chorus starts with, "Your grace is enough. Your grace is enough. Your grace is enough for me." I can sing the rest, but when I hit that part, I get a bit choked. As a recovering English teacher, I still need to examine the text, unpack the meaning so to speak.

“Is Jesus enough?” My immediate answer is a resounding, “YES!” Wait. Unpack the question. Is Jesus enough when your spouse walks out, when you lose your job, when your child dies, when you can’t conceive a child, when an illness side-swipes you? The list seems painfully endless. I can’t honestly say I would feel the same if tragedy struck my life.

To say that "Your grace in enough" is a huge and weighty declaration. I don’t know about you, but when God wants me to learn a lesson, the theme of that lesson seems to recur like a revolving door. I watch a special on TV about a man with cancer, listen to two women battling cancer, talk to my dad about Congestive Heart Failure, read a book about a family's response to the death of their father..So, it will be no surprise to you that we send the very song in question the night of the women's meeting. Jenny encouraged everyone to "deal" with God so I asked God this question, “God, tell me why Jesus would NOT be enough in my life?”

First, I was reminded that as a daughter of Eve, I have want to know how tomorrow will turn out; like Eve I want to eat from the tree of knowledge. I've had a day planner since I was in junior high. I need to orchestrate my day. I want to know what's coming. My inner Eve would say, “If God loves me then He would want me to know the future so I can feel secure.”

Second, I am like the Israelites who wondered the desert grumbling and complaining even though God provided daily for their physical and emotional needs. My inner Israelite says, “God may provide shoes, food, and His presence on my walk in the desert, but I want more than that. I want some fun red pumps, a French bistro with fancy linens and a fast car to get out of the desert as soon as possible!”


What I realized was that Jesus will never be enough for me if I let pride or fear make me doubt His desire to be the provision for my every need. God promises that His mercies are new every day; that we can trust Him to provide for our every need in His perfect time (Lamentations 3:22-25).

No matter what my need is today, can I say that Jesus is enough? Do I trust and believe that God loves me and has a purpose and plan for my life? Do I believe that His provision, mercy, grace, and forgiveness are available each day?

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” - Matthew 6:34