Last week we discovered the sufficiency of God's grace. God multiplies praise to Himself through not only the pastor (Paul) but also His people! Why do we have to speak of despairing things and not just prosperous things? Because God uses these very things also for His praise and glory!

They are an avenue for God. God raises up poor preachers that the praise may ALWAYS be His. The suffering of our Lord becomes real to those who bring that gospel as well. But Paul also focus' on these things for the congregation as well.

It is when we have these "hardships" that God gives us grace to deal with them, and also uses them to multiply it to His praise and His glory! When we see the many "negatives" even among us, we would like to "spit in God's face" if we were like the world. But as the church we give thanks. We know ALL THINGS come from God's fatherly hand and my thanksgiving is ALWAYS unto the Lord! That is why we preach doctrine as it is life! It sees us through and that is why we do not become undone when things crumble around us. It is at this time that God's grace becomes abundant and we find in these times that it is ALWAYS sufficient! All things work out for our good and the blessings of the Lord are ALWAYS and forever upon us. God gave His only Son a ransom for us and will freely give us all things!!!

They are all for our sake and that the thanksgiving, the praise may always and forever be unto God! It is God who lays these things on us that we may give unto Him thanksgiving and praise as we look past the carnal things of this world. As we look at Christ the TRUE gift to us!