The grace of God is not just given to us in forgiveness of sin, although that is certainly an important part of it. The grace of God also equips and strengthens us to do things that we did not think we were going to be able to do. In short, the grace of God is not just given to us to fill up holes. The grace of God is also constructive, positive, and capable of getting us through great challenges.
Sin brings trouble, of its own kind, but not all trouble is the result of sin. In this world, trouble is God’s testing ground. He wants to see what is in our hearts (Dt. 8:2). And whether it is affliction because of sin, or affliction because God is promoting us, we must take care. This is not surefire, but the very best way to perpetuate affliction is to chafe and grumble under it. The grace of God is here to enable you to rejoice under it.
You might say that your trial is great, your affliction is heavy. It wants to sink straight to the bottom as the borrowed ax head of the nameless prophet did (2 Kings 6:6). But remember that the God who made the ax head float is fully capable of making your afflictions float. That is something that afflictions don’t ordinarily do, any more than ax heads do, but the God who gives grace to you here has promised that He will intervene in your life to make every affliction float. Now, keep in mind that making an affliction float is not the same thing as making it vanish. It is like the peace of God, passing understanding. It is that peace, passing understanding. So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.