My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12.9
The house my family lived in during the early sixties had a detached garage built somewhat like a barn with a loft and a large hole in the loft floor to allow materials from the loft to be lowered to the main floor. One time my father was doing some work in the garage and I boasted "I'll drop through the hole if you'll catch me!" He agreed to catch me so I ran up the stairs to the loft.
There were a good many things lying around the hole so it was not easy to get to the hole so as to carefully let myself down. I lost my grip and tumbled through the hole out of control. As promised, my father caught me and I was not hurt. But it scared me quite a bit. He told me to do it again but to be careful and prepare a safer place from which to drop. In my fear of falling again, I refused to try, but he forced me and went to the loft with me to help me clear a spot. On my second try, it was much less scary, for things seemed to be in control.
I suppose I learned a little of the lesson my dad intended to teach - that one should prepare well so as to avoid needless risk. But it would be many years before a more important lesson dawned on me. On both falls - the unprepared one and the prepared one - I was equally safe: my father caught me both times. My safety was in no way changed by my state of preparedness. Even when I fell out of control, he was SUFFICIENT to catch me.
But it should also be noted that my father's presence was NECESSARY to my safety, regardless of how prepared I was. Even when I fell under control, I still needed to be caught. No amount of preparation in the loft can make it safe for a child to jump from it. My father was necessary to my safety even when I was prepared.
As I recall this story, it occurs to me that it is the same with my Heavenly Father. He is always necessary to my well-being - and always sufficient. Often, I am reckless in life, but the Father is as certain to catch me then as at any other time. Sometimes, I do things "by the book," with forethought and good preparation. At those times, as in my "careless" times, the Father is needful. At all times and in all circumstances, the Heavenly Father is both necessary and sufficient! I must never be so proud as to think I don't need Him and must never become so afraid as to think He won't be there for me. In fact, even when I get that proud or that afraid, He will still be there! I know; I've fallen out of the loft that way many times! -Joe