Seeing Past your Own Limitations

What kinds of limitations have you put on yourself?

“I’m a woman–that’s a man’s job.”

“I didn’t get a college education so . . . “

“My family background is a mess. It is so dysfunctional.”

“I’m not strong enough or in good enough physical shape.”

“That task isn’t something that syncs with my personality type.”

“I’m just not smart enough.”

“I’m not attractive.”

Well, we’re in good company. Listen to Jeremiah’s conversation with God:

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” -Jeremiah 1:6-10 ESV

It is difficult to see past limitations, past our fears and insecurities, past our history. But as we review how God worked miracles and how he used people to rise to the challenges of their lives, we can have faith that he can use even us.

In our small town this week we saw how God used firefighters and a dozer operator to stop a raging fire from destroying a historic ranch and crossing a two-lane highway . . . when that same fire had jumped the equivalent expanse of football field of asphalt in another part of the fire.

And we heard how a dear young couple’s sheep ranch was completely spared while they were away.

God can part the fires. As my friend Pam Cheek says, “He is the God Who Parts the Fire.” He can do that on his own as he did with the sheep ranch, or he can use people like the firemen who stood the line and stopped the fire in its raging tracks.

When he uses people like you and me, it’s still a miracle. Because I don’t know about you, but I’m not that smart . . . but I am smart enough to choose God, who has no limitations about how he can work through me.

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phi. 4:13). If you believe that, pick up a hose or a pen or an artist’s brush and do a miracle this week.

Keep #LookingUp!

Janet McHenry is a speaker and the author of 24 books–six on prayer, including the bestselling PrayerWalk and her newest, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus. A former educator, she and her rancher husband Craig live in the Sierra Valley of northern California, where they raised their four kids. She would love to hear from you: https://www.janetmchenry.com.

#LookingUp #pray #prayer #prayers #justpray #needprayer #PrayLikeJesus #PrayersofJesus#PrayerWalk #walkandpray #PrayerStreaming #praywithoutceasing #PrayerExperiment#answertoprayer #prayerworks #beananswertoprayer #PrayerChangesTeens #DailyPrayerWalk #Bible#Bibleverse #Biblestudy #dailyBibleverse #Bibleteacher #speaker #Christianspeaker #retreatspeaker#LoyaltonFire