Tag: weaknesses

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John Devotionals

Three questions

Phillip

So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?”

He asked this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. (John 6:5-6)

I was thinking this morning what it meant that Jesus was testing Phillip.

What was he asking Phillip?

I’m not sure, but I imagine he was asking, “Do you know who I am yet? Do you know what I’m capable of doing? How much do you trust me?”

If that’s what Jesus was asking, Phillip failed the test on all three counts.

All he could see was the disciples’ inadequacy in meeting the needs of the crowd.

But Jesus already knew what he was going to do. And in his grace, he used what little Phillip and the disciples had to feed thousands.

Sometimes, I am like Phillip. Jesus sees people around me he wants to minister to. He already knows what he’s going to do. But he turns to me and asks, “Do you know who I am yet? Do you know what I’m capable of? How much do you trust me?”

But instead of seeing who Jesus is and what he can do, all I can see is my own weaknesses and inadequacies.

The truth is, my weaknesses and inadequacies are irrelevant. What’s important is who Jesus is. What he can do.

The only question is will I trust him and do what he asks.

Because Jesus is more than able to take what little I have to touch those around me with his love.

So maybe I need to think on those questions more.

“Do you know who I am yet?”

“Do you know what I’m capable of doing?”

“Do you trust me?”

Categories
Exodus Devotions

What God asks of us

But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant—because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.”

The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind?

Is it not I, the Lord?

Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:10-12)

We all have weaknesses and limitations. And when God asks us to do something, it’s easy to use those weaknesses and limitations as an excuse not to obey.

But God is not limited by our limitations. He only asks of us two things: our availability and our obedience.

And by relying, not on ourselves, but on him, we can do anything he has asked of us.

Lord, you made me the way I am, with all my weaknesses and limitations. But you are not limited by my limitations.

So I simply offer myself to you as I am and say, “Here I am. Send me.”

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Hebrews

Faith to see beyond (part 2)

Hebrews

“It’s impossible. I can’t do it.”

How often do we see situations in life and say that, if not with our mouths, then in our hearts?

That’s how Abraham and Sarah must have felt.

God first gave them the promise of a child when they were 75 and 65 respectively. Twenty-four years passed and still no baby had come.

In the meantime, they had made their own plans to have an heir, as Sarah gave her slave Hagar to Abraham in order to have an heir through her.

But God said, “No, this is not what I meant when I said I’d give you a son. You will have a son through Sarah.”

At this, Abraham laughed. And now with them 99 and 89 years old, God again promised that Sarah would have a baby, and this time Sarah laughed. It seemed utterly impossible.

But eventually, they both saw past their own limitations and saw that with God, all things are possible. And so they kept on trying to have a child.

And the writer of Hebrews tells us,

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age–and Sarah herself was barren–was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. (Hebrews 11:11-12)

How about you? What situations are you going through that seem utterly impossible?

Many things seem utterly impossible because of our own weaknesses and limitations. But God has no weaknesses or limits.

DDo you have the faith to see beyond your own weaknesses and limits and put your trust in him who has no limits?

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Romans

Accepting others where they are

Romans

If there is one thing I think we’d all like, whether we admit it or not, it’s the ability to change others. To make others act in a way more palatable or acceptable to us.

Maybe it’s bad habits people have. Maybe it’s a fault they have.

The truth is, though, we can’t change people. We can try to bully people, make them feel guilty, or passively aggressively hint that they should change.

But Paul tells us here,

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1)

As I’ve mentioned before, this is specifically in reference to those with tender consciences, those who feel restricted by rules that are not required by God.

As I think of this passage today, however, I think of another application.

We may consider other people weak because of their bad habits, faults, etc, and ourselves as strong because we don’t have them.

More, we try to make them change, many times not for their own sake or for their own good, but for our own. We’re trying to make others act in a way that pleases us.

But Paul is saying here, we should bear with the failings of those around us. I like how the NASB puts it,

Now we who are strong ought to bear with the weaknesses of those without strength.

Many times as we deal with people, they simply don’t have the strength to change. They may know they should change, but it’s a struggle.

And until God gives them that grace and strength, we shouldn’t pressure them, push them, or try to manipulate them.

Rather, as Paul says, we are to,

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)

How does Christ accept us? He accepts us in our weakness.

I’m sure Christ knows every single fault and weakness that we have. But he does not shove them all in our face and require us to change right here and right now.

Rather, he shows patience, love, and mercy. And not only does he show us how to change, he gives us the power to change.

While we may have the ability to show people what needs to change and have ideas on how they can change, we cannot give them the power to change. Only Christ can do that.

So let us show patience, love, and mercy to those around us, and leave the change in their lives to Christ.

And as we do, God will be glorified.