You ever have those moments where the fear of not being good enough creeps in? The fear of not being qualified enough to do the things the Lord has appointed you to do? Maybe it’s just me -but I have struggled with this… sometimes I still do and I need to constantly STOP 🛑 and remind myself:
I am not enough but GOD is…
Moses was also someone who felt he wasn’t good enough. When God spoke through a burning bush and called Moses to lead His people out of Egyptian bondage, he had a big case of the “not-good-enoughs”
That’s when he had a one-sided argument with God. Moses told God he was the wrong man for the job. He wasn’t brave enough, strong enough, smart enough, eloquent enough, charismatic enough or confident enough.
At one point, Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” And God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you'” (Exodus 3:13-14. NIV).
Moses was 80 years old when he argued with God. But even the weakest knees in the hands of I AM can become a mighty force to be reckoned with.
You can fill in the blank with a number of qualities. False beliefs such as … I’m not strong enough. I’m not experienced enough. I’m not talented enough. I’m not brave enough. I’m not pretty enough.
But here’s what we need to remember:
👉🏻Whatever positive characteristic we feel we are not, God is. 👉🏻Whatever we need, God is. He is the God who fills in our gaps; He is I AM who fills in our blanks. 👉🏻When we say, “I’m not strong enough,’ God says, “I AM.” 👉🏻When we say, “I’m not smart enough, God says, “I AM.” 👉🏻When we say, “I’m not good enough, God says, “I AM.”
Once we let go of the lies that we’re not enough .. and take hold of the truth that we’re more than enough because of Jesus’ presence and power in us… then we’ll be set free from paralyzing insecurity and on our way to experiencing courageous confidence to do everything He calls us to do.
Did you know one of my greatest struggles has always been speaking… publicly, small groups, you name it! I would experience debilitating anxiety for days leading up to the event. And yet, the Lord has placed me in roles that require frequent speaking to all sorts of people, often about really hard things.
Many of my greatest weaknesses the Lord has used to do great good and HE has provided everytime! He is Faithful! I stand with Paul, who lamented about his weakness: “But he [God] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me”‘ (2 Corinthians 12:9).
That’s what happens when we allow God to fill in our blanks. He turns what we perceive as our greatest weakness into our greatest strength.
What is God calling you to do today? Where do you feel you’re not enough? Oh friend, because of Jesus finished work on the cross, and His power in you, you are more than enough! He who has called you is faithful! 🙌
Kind of bittersweet Jackson is now old enough, that his favorite alpaca lovey is breaking down. It’s amazing the comfort this little raggedy, falling apart alpaca gives to him. To some it would be time to put this little stuffie in the trash, but not Jackson. As the last pieces of leather and stuffing fall out he gently picks them up and stuffs back in what he can and discards the pieces he cannot – but to him this is the same lovey that he met as a newborn coming home. His place of safety, familiarity. I pray that Jackson’s care for his alpaca is an indicator of how strong his faith will be. I pray he will grow to be a man to follow after God’s own heart. I pray Jackson’s life and personality will be a testament of God’s glory.
Jackson’s tattered alpaca
“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5 NLT
This morning as I look at this little tattered thing I think of our Savior. I think of Mary seeing her son whipped and beaten beyond recognition. And I think of how dark it must have felt those hours during the crucifixion. I wonder did Mary see her baby boy up there, the child she had given birth to and nursed and raised. Did those watching begin to doubt Jesus being their Savior as they watched Him being broken and poured out? Did those with faith a little stronger still see the strong Rabbi they had come to love and believe to be the Messiah.
“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.” Isaiah 53:5, 7, 10, 12 NLT
And likewise, I think of how God sees us. What we see as the least of us, the broken, the utterly sinful – when God sees us He sees us made in His image. When we come to Christ and accept Him, God sees us through the righteousness of His son. We are made a new creation. We put on our new selves and take off the old.
“throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT
What an amazing love.
““For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NLT
This time of the year it is really easy to take our eyes off of the Reason for the Season: Jesus.
It is easy to start looking around at what others have, maybe it is their gifts or finances. Or maybe it’s something larger like their marriages, family or children. Things that are not inherently wrong to long for or desire.
But friends, let me encourage you to remember, seek the vertical first and foremost – then the horizontal may come. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
We mustn’t forget that we should be pursing holiness, holiness anchored of course in the grace of God. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Salvation is by grace and sanctification is by grace.
Holiness in finances. Holiness in relationships. Holiness in sexuality.
“For you know God paid a ransom for you to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which loose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom, long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.” (1 Peter 18-20).
The Holy Spirit enables us in this pursuit but we are 100% responsible for this pursuit; as we are 100% dependent upon the Holy Spirit to enable us.
“The pursuit of holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian. No one can attain any degree of holiness without God working in his life, but just as surely no one will attain it without effort on his own part.” – Jerry Bridges
Stop seeking satisfaction.
Seek God.
Experience true satisfaction that is only found in God.
But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in UNFAILING love… this is your God who brought you out of Egypt.
Just a few days ago I found myself in the book of Nehemiah. This is not a book that I am familiar with and I was struck by the people’s prayer and confession of their sins in chapter 9. Their confession comes AFTER reading God’s law, for three hours they read and for three hours they confessed. Then they prayed! It was during their prayer that I felt tears well up in my eyes. My tears began to fall as I read the history of Israel and of the works God had done, this was an efficient way to remind the people of their great heritage and God’s promises. Isn’t it just like US to forget?
I was humbled by the reality of God’s goodness, ready to pardon our sins, when we appropriately come to Him in humility and repentance. I was taken back in my memory to the times God has pardoned me; taken back to times before I knew Him personally and I was relying on my SELF. The Israelites were no stranger to periods of intense rebellion and sin, yet they also were no stranger to God’s unfailing love, goodness, and mercy either! The same for me. Perhaps, this is true for you too?
Nehemiah 9:33, “Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved. Wow! Feeling convicted? I know I was! I unknowingly often forget the amount of times God has forgiven me, and how reckless I can be with that forgiveness.
Ruth Schwenk puts it this way, “Yes, sometimes my experience of God doesn’t match my expectation of God, but that is not evidence of the absence of God.
I have a deep history of trauma that includes sexual abuse, trafficking, drug addiction, and self harm. I have been clean and sober for 14 years now thanks to the GOODNESS OF GOD! But the journey to get here, like the journey of Israelites, could have been so much shorter had I been obedient and faithful; had I been trusting the Lord FULLY. It took me a long time to understand why when I prayed to be free from drug addiction I did not receive a radical transformation; yet, when I prayed for deliverance from my self-harm I did receive a radical deliverance. I received FREEDOM. This is by no means a blanket statement on the greatness of God’s sovereignty, I share as a caution. A caution to reflect on yourself and posture before the Lord. Are you wanting deliverance in order to step more fully into God’s design for you or are you seeking deliverance so your life can be easier.
For me, drug addiction was a nuance and a complication, I could see it hurting others around me in a practical way. I could also hide it and excuse it away. For self harm, my posture was very different. I was afraid I would loose my life, I was afraid of the scars and marks it was leaving all over my body. I was afraid that the act of self harm was more offensive to the Lord because of the work He done on the cross to PARDON ME! I prayed consistently for a year solid, I offered the Lord all I had at the time and that was humble, raw, and honest prayer. I lamented, I yelled, I pleaded, and I BOWED down. I remember very clearly when the Lord gave me a message, dropped right into my heart.
I have come to learn that this is called a Rhema word, in Greek this literally means an “utterance” or “thing said”. He gave me a word and after, in His sovereignty, it was confirmed even more when a stranger gave me a verse.
He spoke into my heart, in the firmest but gentlest voice, “Were my wounds not enough for you?” What seemed like the next day someone handed me a folded piece of paper with 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” That day my soil became more fertile, the seeds of the yester-years sprouted forth. I never self harmed again. I would continue to struggle with drug addiction and relapses after that, but I can now see how my choices put me in the wilderness and how the Lord worked those things for my good. I grew in grace, I learned to trust in Him more fully, I learned WHO my Heavenly Father was. And let me tell you, He is so much more than I realized! I also learned that the Lord truly will provide all we NEED. Notice I said “NEED” not want.
Like the Israelites, it serves us well to remember our personal history. This will help us to avoid making the same mistakes of our past and equally important, I think it serves as a reminder to our spiritual growth and can help us identify patterns, recognition of these things will help us to become the kind of person God wants us to be.
God puts no limits on the amount of times we can come to Him to obtain His mercy – BUT – WE must Come, in order to receive it.
Psalm 40:1-3, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
We serve a gracious and merciful God – this should cause you to take a look at your own life, sometimes we take for granted today’s provisions and today’s grace.
If you have something in your life, a addiction like me or a reoccurring difficulty continue to to ask God for help AND be prepared to make changes! Changes in BOTH attitude and behavior. God will meet us where we are BUT He does not expect us to stay there… your hurt or your trauma may not have been your fault but it is your responsibility to go to God for healing, to receive the grace, mercy, and most importantly the freedom He has for you.
I like the way Matthew Henry puts it in his commentary on Nehemiah 9, he says, “Let all remember that pride and obstinacy are sins which ruin the soul. But it is often as hard to persuade the brokenhearted to hope, as formerly it was to bring them fear…”
Jesus paid it all on the cross. Your sins have been paid for in full. Approach His throne today and receive the grace and the healing – THE LIFE – He has for you!
We have a God who is ready to pardon, the ransom has been paid, do not let your sense of unworthiness keep you away.
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The Meek Momma 