How does God want us to view our limitations?
BIBLE READING: Judges 6:1-40
KEY BIBLE VERSE: “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” (Judges 6:15)
Our Limitations Are Opportunities for God to Work.
"I will be with you,” God told Gideon, and God promised to give him the strength he needed to overcome the opposition. In spite of this clear promise for strength, Gideon made excuses. Seeing only his limitations and weaknesses, he failed to see how God could work through him.
Our Limitations Are Opportunities to Trust God.
Like Gideon, we are called to serve God in specific ways. Although God promises us the tools and strength we need, we often make excuses. But reminding God of our limitations only implies that he does not know all about us or that he has made a mistake in evaluating our character. Don’t spend time making excuses. Instead spend it doing what God wants.
Our Limitations Are Not God’s Limitations.
After seeing the miracle of the wet fleece, why did Gideon ask for another miracle? Perhaps he thought the results of the first test could have happened naturally. A thick fleece could retain moisture long after the sun had dried the surrounding ground. “Putting out fleeces” is a poor decision-making method. Those who do this put limitations on God. They ask him to fit their expectations. The results of such experiments are usually inconclusive and thus fail to make us any more confident about our choices. Don’t let a “fleece” become a substitute for God’s wisdom that comes through Bible study and prayer.
BIBLE READING: 1 Corinthians 15:35-58
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. (1 Corinthians 15:53)
Our Limitations Are Temporary.
We all face limitations. Those who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities are especially aware of this. Some may be blind, but they can see a new way to live. Some may be deaf, but they can hear God’s Good News. Some may be lame, but they can walk in God’s love. In addition, they have the encouragement that those disabilities are only temporary. Paul tells us that we all will be given new bodies when Christ returns and that these bodies will be without disabilities, never to die or become sick. This can give us hope in our suffering.