This podcast covers Lesson 2 of Everyday Women, Ever-Faithful God Bible Study and Lesson 2 of The Walk from Fear to Faith Bible Study by Melanie Newton.
Sarah—Press on Beyond Your Weaknesses
Our God has bigger purposes for our weaknesses than what we see or know each step of the way.
Do you look at your life and only see weakness? You may feel helpless as a victim of circumstances. You may dwell on your mistakes. You may focus on your inadequacy, not being enough of…whatever. And, sadly, other people like to point out all those weaknesses in your life, too, making you feel even worse about them. Our God is bigger than our weaknesses. He asks us to trust Him and His purpose when we don’t understand.
God is bigger than your circumstances
- Circumstances are those conditions affecting our lives that are beyond our control or ability to “fix.”
- Most of Sarah’s circumstances were out of her control. She didn’t do anything wrong. And, in her specific case, God had a bigger plan for her that depended on the right timing.
- You may be facing your own version of desperate circumstances—health problems, lack of income, bad relationships, or problems someone else caused. Having to face those circumstances leaves you with choices. You can become whiny and bitter. When you depend upon God to get you through them, you will likely see and appreciate God’s gifts to you in a greater way.
God is bigger than your mistakes
- Mistakes are generally two kinds. 1) Willfully going against clear Biblical guidance about what is right and wrong. 2) Attempting to “fix a problem” without clear Biblical guidance that doesn’t turn out as expected.
- Looking at Sarah’s life, she made one gigantic mistake that’s recorded for everyone to know and point fingers at her. She took something acceptable from her culture and tried to use it to obtain the promise of God. That mistake had huge, painful consequences. But God’s purpose wasn’t thwarted because of her mistake.
- What about those things not clearly defined as right and wrong in the Bible? God has given us a mind to use for making decisions in all areas of life. So, we should pray, ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit, get advice from other believers, check to see if it’s legal, then make the decision and act on it, trusting God with the results.
- Living by faith includes the whole process of trusting God while making a decision and trusting God with the results of it. It’s all about faith, not about being perfect.
God is bigger than your inadequacies
- To be “inadequate” means failing to reach an expected standard, to be insufficient and lacking.
- God knows all about those things in which we feel insufficient or lacking. Sometimes, He leaves us to ourselves so we will recognize how insufficient we are without Him. Then, we’ll desire Him more.
- Sarah was inadequate in her barrenness and had probably lost hope. But, God rejuvenated her body and filled it with the long-promised son.
- Thankfully, God has compassion on our inadequacies.
Press on beyond your weaknesses
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on…” (Philippians 3:13)
- Stop responding to desperate circumstances with hysteria, or replaying mistakes over and over in your mind or wallowing in your inadequacies. The question to ask now is this. “What are you going to do today to press on beyond your weakness? Beyond circumstances you’re in. Beyond mistakes you’ve made. Beyond feelings of inadequacy that you have.
- How will you trust God now to show you how to press on beyond any weakness toward a new future?
- We have a big God. He can take whatever is looking ugly in our lives and make it something praiseworthy. Maybe all that you’ve been through in life—desperate circumstances, blaring mistakes, and obvious inadequacies—have led to this moment when God has brought you to get this message so you can trust in Him.
God is bigger than your weaknesses. He could be showing you that today on your walk from fear to faith.
Joyful Walk Bible Studies by Melanie Newton are available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble