Maneuvers - No. 73
Let Me
Be Enough
Faithful one, have you ever seen someone who has lost hope?
It’s heartbreaking. The look on their face alone may be enough to reveal how they feel resigned to their pain, too jaded to expect anything else.
Today, Holy Spirit wants to renew our hope… but not the way the world does it.
The world will tell us to claw and scratch for what we want. For many, that’s how they hope—by anxiously waiting for the day they’ll finally achieve what they’ve been pushing for, what they deserve.
But in Jesus, we have a different kind of hope. And our hope is in an inheritance that is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4, ESV).
It’s a hope that isn’t restless but restful. Not anxious but quiet and secure. Not striving but receiving.
As David wrote in Psalm 62:5, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him” (ESV).
But how do we experience that kind of peace-filled hope in our day-to-day lives?
As we’ll learn in this week’s FLAG Message, it starts with letting Jesus be enough for us and trusting that he’s giving us (and will continue to give us) everything we need for whatever situation we’re in.
Let’s open our hearts to listen…
01.
The Message
“Do not lose hope now. Do not lose hope. All that you carry is not without pain, I know. I know pain. I know suffering, too. Oh, how can I explain them both? There is much I do not give to you to know. But I give you enough—enough to know for this moment. Enough to give to me. Enough to entrust to me. Let me be your enough.
“Draw near now. Draw near. Lay your head down. Let me fill your cup so your thirst is quenched. Let me satisfy your hunger. Let me give you rest. Do not stay there, worrying. Do not stay out there on your own. Come here, to me. I will restore you. You need not search for rest; let me give it to you: enough.
“How can you know what you need? How can you trust your own heart? Here, let me show you how you can; let me teach you what you don’t know. And let me show you what it is you know but have forgotten: There is stored within you the hope of life, the hope of beginning. It is not dependent on the rules of this world, rules that bring with them desolation and distraction, confusion and noise. Let me quiet you now—quieting the worry, quieting the inner turmoil. Let me make that all subside. Let my love blanket you and fill you. Here is where you will find peace, nowhere else. Notice what you are looking for now. And then pause. Consider how you, my child, are the one who is found.”
02.
Listen
In one word, what’s your reaction to this week’s FLAG Message? And what’s your prayer to the Lord right now? Let’s write down our response in our journals.
03.
Think
“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me” (Psalm 131:2, ESV).
1. Close your eyes and imagine Jesus saying the words in this week’s message to you. What do his facial expressions and body language communicate? How do they soften your heart and capture your attention?
2. Where have you been listening to the rules of this world? Where have you allowed desolation, distraction, and confusion into your life and heart?
3. What specific truths is God using to quiet your soul right now? Write down each truth Holy Spirit brings to mind, and underneath each one, write down a relevant Scripture verse.
04.
Trust
It’s so easy to fix our eyes on what’s wrong in our lives, especially when we’re going through something difficult.
But consider: How quickly can our enemy turn that focus into an obsession or even an idol? When all we see is the pain and chaos in our lives, we can easily lose sight of all the good. All the beauty and hope and joy that God has for us (yes, even in the midst of our struggles).
This week, Holy Spirit said, “But I give you enough—enough to know for this moment. Enough to give to me. Enough to entrust to me. Let me be your enough.”
If we want to let Jesus be enough for us, it’s crucial that we learn to refocus. Let’s return to a portion of the week’s message:
“Let me quiet you now—quieting the worry, quieting the inner turmoil. Let me make that all subside. Let my love blanket you and fill you. Here is where you will find peace, nowhere else. Notice what you are looking for now. And then pause. Consider how you, my child, are the one who is found.”
Can we practice this now? Can we actively allow Jesus to be enough for us—and let that “enough” quiet our souls and fill us with peace?
To do this, let’s close our eyes for a minute or two, pushing away every thought of what we need to do and what we want to happen. Instead, we’re focusing on Jesus. His love. His character. What he’s done. What he’s promised to do.
Now, let’s open our eyes and write down in our journals at least 10 things to thank Jesus for. Here’s what our list looks like so far…
1. Thank you for dying in my place, washing my sins away, and completely forgiving me. I’m not a sinner anymore—you call me holy, loved, and chosen.
2. Thank you for redeeming me and adopting me into your family, making me a child of God!
3. Thank you for filling me with your Holy Spirit, a promise guaranteeing my full inheritance with you in heaven. Your Spirit and Word give me everything I need to live a godly life in this world.
4. Thank you for always providing for my needs, for a place to live and food to eat, and for people in my life who care about me.
We’re still finishing up our list, friend. What does yours look like so far? We know it’s full of good things!
05.
Pray
Lord, you say I can come to you and you will restore me. Well, here I am, surrendering all to you. (Let’s open our hands now.)
Come and root out all the noise and confusion that’s distracting me from you. Fill me with your light and hope. Show me who I am and what I already have in you.
I rest in you. I rest in the fact that you are everything I need—you’re enough, even in the pain. You give me enough, and I’m so, so grateful. Thank you for your goodness to me.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
