Devotional - week of August 31, 2008

GOD IS NOT LIMITED TO OUR LIMITATIONS

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. Acts 2:41

Most of us probably would not find it difficult to admit that we are not as smart or educated or impressive or gifted as many other people. Such a spirit of humility is good.

Understanding and admitting our limitations, though, is a negative thing when we believe that God can use us to do only the things that we ourselves can accomplish.

There is no better example of God using his children far above their own capabilities than on the day of Pentecost. Their main leader was a religiously uneducated fisherman. There were three other fishermen in the group along with a former tax collector. Others in the group are known by name because Jesus had called them to be His Apostles. Matthias and Justus are named because one of them would be selected to take the place of Judas. Also in the group were the mother and the brothers of Jesus. All the others—about 100—are not even named. And almost all of those who are named are never mentioned again in Scripture.

God took this untrained group of people and used them to begin the advancement of the Kingdom of God—the greatest movement among men ever on the face of the earth. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high. They obeyed. They had no idea of what was about to happen but they waited in faith for God to carry out His own plans.

Compare the group of 120 with the Israelites who were at Kadesh Barnea when they refused to go into the promise land because they thought it was something they could not do. Their lack of faith eliminated God’s plan to do the impossible through them.

God has always wanted to do things through His people far beyond what their natural capabilities would enable them to do. He never wants us to live in the small world of our own abilities.

God wants us to have a vision of His plans for our lives. He will give us His vision when we experience our oneness with Christ and live with Him in the heavenlies. It will always be a vision of victories far above our own vision of what we could make happen with our limited capabilities. God is not limited to our limitations.

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