He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

Chorus
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Christmas is a season of giving and that is why I chose this particular hymn.  This hymn, although not specifically a Christmas carol, does provide some great insight as to how and when God gives to His children.  Couple of thoughts about certain lines in this hymn:

• God’s Math – In verse one, I like the concept of “adding” and “multiplying.”  The verse says “To added afflications, He addeth His mercy.  To multiplied trials, He multiplies peace.”  If you are like me, you have probably wondered how someone goes through certain tragedies in life – Loss of a child, bad report from the doctor accompanied by a short life expectancy, etc.  I ask myself “How do people handle these situations?” because I wonder, at times, if I could.  The reality, however, is that God provides us what we need when we need it.  In times of afflications, He adds mercy.  In times of trials, He multiplies peace.  The Bible says that “And God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.”  We can trust that He will supply us with what we need at just the right time.  Not too early, but also not too late.  As the modern gospel song says, “He’s an on-time God.”

• God’s Giving– The last two lines of the second verse talk about our “hoarded resources” and God’s “full giving.”  In many ways, our country is epitomized by “hoarded resources.”  We have 30 days worth of food in the pantry and in the fridge.  (I am counting the food that we bought and really don’t want to eat for those of you skeptical about whether you have a 30 day supply).  The grocery stores have lots of food, and their shelves are re-stocked on a daily basis.  We really don’t worry about running out of anything.  However, this level of “blessing” has created a society that doesn’t have a daily reliance on God to provide.  We really don’t “need” Him to provide “our daily bread.”  In our minds, we have that taken care of.  When, however, we exhaust our personal resources and run out of certain necessaties, then God can show up and remind us that we do need Him and that His giving has only just begun.

There are a couple of words that go hand in hand during the Christmas season – Giving and Limits.  We like to give to our family and friends, but most of us have a limit or budget on what we will spend for each person.  Our credit cards allow us to give now and pay later, but these cards also have pre-determined limits.  God, too, wants to give to us, but thankfully, “His love has no limit.”  We aren’t “maxed out” with God, nor have we reached the point where He is no longer able to intercede on our behalf.  I love the last line of this song because it is truly a picture of how God treat us – He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.  We might give once or twice to someone in need, and then decide that’s enough.  Maybe we don’t think they were grateful enough for the gift we gave, and we stop giving.  That is not the case with God. He gives, and gives, and gives some more.

Here are a couple of “modifed” credit card slogans to remember as you buy gifts on your credit card this Christmas season:

• It pays to discover a God that doesn’t pay you back what you deserve.

• God – He’s everywhere you need Him to be.

• There’s some things money can’t buy – Your salvation is the most important one.

Finally, this particular hymn is not found in any of the hymnals or hymn devotion books I own or have looked at.  Thankfully, I was able to find the words through Google.  I can’t recall exactly where I learned this hymn.  I do remember, however, my best friend’s late father, Tom Holland, singing this song one Saturday when we where riding in his truck together.  It was quiet in the truck, and all of a sudden Tom started singing the chorus to this hymn – “His love has no limit, His grace has no measure…”  Sean and I looked at each other, smiled, and started singing along.  Tom gave me a few things that day.  A fond memory.  An appreciation for great hymns.  And a reminder that no matter where we are or what we’re doing, we can sing His praises because He has given, and given, and this Christmas season, will give again.