Sufficiency

Perhaps some future day, Lord, Thy strong hand will lead me to the place where I must stand utterly alone, alone, oh gracious Lover, but for Thee.

I shall be satisfied if I can see Jesus only. I do not know thy plan for years to come. My spirit finds in Thee its perfect home: sufficiency. Lord, all my desire is before Thee now. Lead on no matter where, no matter how, I trust in Thee. -Elizabeth Elliot

This quote is one of the most beautiful quotes that I have read in a long time. Elizabeth Elliot was a wonderful example of a godly woman, and she truly loved the Lord. She was not perfect, though, just like all of us. How did she get to the point where she could confidently say, or write, these things? I’m not sure, but one thing I do know for sure is that I needed to hear this quote this week. Let the words soak in…

Thy strong hand will lead me to the place where I must stand utterly alone: Ever since being in the United States, I have felt more alone than ever. I have friends and family here that love me, but there are some topics that I cannot talk about with anyone in my area. Some things that I’d rather talk about, my friends don’t understand. I’m not constantly surrounded by many strong believers. I feel alone, and eventually I will get to the place where it is just me and the Lord. Oh, will that be a day!

But for Thee: Is my aloneness for You? Do I ever stop to take time and reflect on all of the things, both good and bad, that have happened in my life to glorify You even more? How can my aloneness fulfill the plan that You have for me? Lord, please show me that way.

I shall be satisfied if I can see Jesus only: I don’t know about you, but it is impossible for me to be alone for a whole day. I plan events and things to do every day, and I make myself busy all the time. Today was the only day this week that I didn’t leave the house, and I had to fill my time with talking to someone else. When can I get to that point where I am satisfied to see only Jesus?

I do not know Thy plan for years to come: Not only do I not know His plans for my future, but I also don’t know what will happen in this world. What will happen during the election? What other terrorist attacks will come? How many more people will believe before Jesus comes back again? The unknown is scary, and it’s easy to have a plan and act like we have it all figured out. Let us come to God, though, weak, admitting that we are nothing without Him.

My spirit finds in Thee its perfect home: sufficiency: “Sufficiency” is such a powerful word.

How often do we say things yet not believe them? I know I do. On a typical Sunday morning, I’ll sing things like “Lord, I need you,” “You’re a good, good Father,” “I will Follow You,” “Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders…” and much more. I can tell you, though, that I do not believe those things 100% of the time. Do I truly believe that the Lord is sufficient? I definitely don’t act like it. No matter the person, whether it be a comfortable, middle class American binge watching Netflix, or a young, Dominican girl living in a village and fighting so that her grandparents can become believers, Christ is sufficient for them.

Lead on no matter where, no matter how. I trust in Thee: This is my prayer, that I don’t care where I am or where the Lord leads me, but that I can trust in Him in both the good times and the bad. I don’t have it all together, and I never will, but I can be confident that the Lord takes me just as I am and molds me to become more like Him each and every day.

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That quote is for me, for someone who struggles to find their satisfaction in others and needs to have control. And while the Lord might not give me the “good feelings” that others give me, the Lord is trustworthy and never-changing. My biggest pet peeve is people who don’t keep their promises, and while many people fail to keep their promises to me and let me down, I know that the Lord never will.

When I am down and feel alone, let me “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2-3). Considering doesn’t mean that I have to feel happy, and hapiness is not the end goal in this life, regardless of what the world tells us. But… joy. That comes when I am feeling miserable and down, but yet I look and think of my trials as an opportunity for the Lord to grow me. Is it hard? Yes, but is it worth it? Most definitely.

May the Lord be sufficient