Oh, That the Grace of God May be Sufficient for Me, by Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

“My times are in Your hand!” Psalm 31:15

Firmly believing that my times are in God’s hand, I here submit myself and all my affairs for the ensuing year, to the wise and gracious disposal of God’s divine providence. Whether God appoints for me health or sickness, peace or trouble, comforts or crosses, life or death — may His holy will be done!

All my time, strength, and service, I devote to the honor of the Lord Jesus, and even my common actions. It is my earnest expectation, hope, and desire, my constant aim and endeavor, that Jesus Christ may be magnified in me.

In everything I have to do, my entire dependence is upon Jesus Christ for strength. And whatever I do in word or deed, I desire to do all in His name, to make Him my Alpha and Omega. I have all from Him–and I would use all for Him.

If this should prove a year of affliction, a sorrowful year to me–I will fetch all my supports and comforts from the Lord Jesus and stay myself upon Him, His everlasting consolations, and the good hope I have in Him through grace.

And if it should be my dying year–then my times are in the hand of the Lord Jesus. And with a humble reliance upon His mediation, I would venture into the eternal world looking for the blessed hope. Dying as well as living– I trust, Jesus Christ will be gain and advantage to me.

Oh, that the grace of God may be sufficient for me, to keep me always in a humble sense of my own unworthiness, weakness, folly, and infirmity–together with a humble dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ for daily grace and strength.

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry was a Protestant minister and author.  Born in Wales, he lived most of his life in England. His father was a Chrurch of England cleric and Henry was baptized as an infant into that denomination. By the age of nine, Henry was able to write Latin and read part of the Greek New Testament. In the mid 1680’s, Henry began his formal education in the study of law, but soon after switched to theology and began preaching locally. He established a church in Chester, England in 1686 and was ordained on 9 May 1687.  In addition to preaching, Henry accepted regional speaking engagements. During his 51 years of life, Henry experienced much grief.  His first wife died of smallpox shortly after giving birth to their daughter who died 15 months later.  He married again and had two more children–one died in infancy and the other only three weeks after birth.  Henry is best remembered for his six-volume biblical commentary Exposition of the Old and New Testaments and this quote

The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.  (from “Genesis 2 Commentary – Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible”)