Never Underestimate Your Weakness

So many of us have through epic battles in our lives, and have suffered crushed hopes, physical damage and loss, or financial devastation. We’ve survived the battle, but now go through our days like Jacob, walking with a limp.

For some of us , it’s an emotional limp – someone disappointed us, betrayed us or something tragic has happened. The wound just hasn’t been able to heal with time, and are carrying a limp. For some, it is a physical limp, a disease or infirmity in your body that has slowed you down,

Many have a cultural limo, something has stigmatized you in the eyes of others, and you drag it around wherever you go. Other people have a spiritual limp, something happened in a church or religious setting that has caused them to now avoid God and His people.

Still others have a relational limp: your spouse cheated and left you, or was abusive to you. You’re estranged from a parent or a child. Or maybe even you have a character limp. You know there is an issue in your life that needs transformation and restoration; you want to do the right thing, but no matter how hard you try, you just keep doing what you really don’t want to do.

In fact, most of us by the time we reach adulthood, find ourselves walking with a hobble and limping our way into the presence of Almighty God.

You may think that a limp makes you weak and vulnerable, but God’s word tells a different story.

In Genesis 32:24-25, “Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking day. Now when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his hip, and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as he wrestled with him.”

Jacob’s life can be summarized in one word – struggle. In fact, the name Jacob means deceiver, supplanter, or manipulated.

He struggled with his brother Esau in the womb, and as they grew older, he struggled for his father’s blessing to the firstborn. He struggled even for his father’s affection.

Jacob’s father, Isaac, loved Esau, because Esau was a real man’s man, Esau loved outdoor life, he hunted, he was hairy and rough. Jacob one the other hand, was a momma’s boy. He preferred to stay at home, around the tent and home fires. And Scripture states that Isaac loved Esau, and Rachel loved Jacob more (Genesis 25:28). Jacob struggled for his father’s approval.

And as he got older, Jacob struggled with his two wives, his in-laws, his twelve sons… even with himself.

But in reality, all of that struggle in his life can be summed up in one statement: Jacob struggled against God.

In fact, most of the struggles that we face in life are actually rooted in our own struggles with God. We struggle because we doubt God’s wisdom, or we want to be in control. We struggle with pride and fail to submit to God’s ways. Maybe we struggle to truly accept God’s love and forgiveness. And that struggle has caused a lot of other struggles in life that could have been avoided

An Epic Struggle Of Wills

Jacob’s life is in many ways like our lives. Our desires and God’s desire and destiny for our lives often clash in a epic struggle of wills.

By doing things his own way, Jacob had gotten some “blessings” along the way, and seemed to pay off. He tricked his father into getting the Blessing of the Firstborn from him, even though he had to flee and hide from his family afterward. He ended up with two wives, even though he didn’t love one of then. He got some land, cattle and servants, even though it caused some manor conflict with his in-laws.

In other words. Jacob did accumulate some “blessings” along the way by doing it his way and defying God’s way. But there was a price to pay; trouble followed him wherever he went,

Scripture says, “thete is a wat that seems right to a man but the end thereof is destruction” (Proverbs 14:13). And it also says, “ the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow” (Proverbs 10:22), Clearly, the blessing that God brings is preferable.

Jacob struggled his whole life against God, until eventually, the conflict in his life got so intense that he just couldn’t scheme his way out of it. He had conflict with his father-in-law and brothers -in-law, because they felt like Jacob had taken property that rightly belonged to them. Jacob must have surveyed the situation and thought. I’ve got to get out of here.

“Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s son, saying Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s and from what was our father’s he has acquired all his wealth. And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before” (Genesis 31:1-2.

The problem was, Jacob had nowhere to go. He couldn’t go back home and he couldn’t stay where he was. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, and he was alone. Until God showed up.

“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day” (Genesis 32:24).

Jacob wrestled or struggled with God till the break of day. He needed to submit to a character change, and true repentance from a humble heart. Just ask Esau for forgiveness, admit that you were wrong! Just own it, humble yourself and let Me do the rest. But Jacob stubbornly kept struggling.

At the break of dawn, Jacob was out of time. Esau was closing in on one side, and his in-laws on the other side. Then God intervened.

God is God and He could have pinned Jacob in a minute. God has voluntarily limited Himself to the submission of our will. He wants for us to voluntarily submit our will to His will. Sometimes, God’s got to do some things to grab our attention not to hurt us, but to help us. Or said another way, some times God’s got to bruise us, in order to break us, so that He can bless us.

It might be a limp, a whale or a pigpen. The experience is not meant to permanently damage or destroy us (that’s the devil’s M.O.), but ultimately to bless us. As it says in Psalm 119:67, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word.” It’s amazing how many painful moments become defining moments in our lives.

“Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip” (Genesis 32:31).

Jacob was changed by his experience. He was not who he used to be: He’d been given new name, Israel, and had put him life in God’s hands as he headed out to meet Esau and his 400 men. But he also looked weaker than ever, because now he had a noticeable limp.

As Jacob was limping toward Esau, and the enemy was throwing thoughts of fear into Jacob’s ind, here is what I believe Jacob learned from his limp, and what his experience teaches us today:

I am no longer afraid. Because of this struggle, because of this limp. I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer. And I will keep going to God, crying out to my Heavenly Father in this sit, too.

I an beseeching the Lord, going to Him for story, grabbing hold of the horns of the alter, and knocking on Heaven’s doors.

Because of this limp, I spend more time with my Heavenly Father than ever before . I have learned hoe to cast my are upon the Lord and I now know He cares for me. I stand on the promises that cannot fail.

I am lo longer worried. I spend time in the presence of my Father who fills me with peace. I pray always withal, prayer and supplication in the Spirit; I let my requests be made know to God.

Because of this limp, I do fight like I used to fight. I don’t fight with deception, manipulation or cheating. I fight on my knees and call on the God of angel armies. I invite God’s supernatural intervention in my life, and I now more than ever an overcomer.

Never underestimate my limp, because it’s made me dangerous to the enemy.

We should never underestimate the values of these life experiences with God that sometimes create a “limp” that we carry with us. Them limp becomes a daily reminder of our personal struggles to place our trust in God alone, and that we risk suffering from choices made after our own understanding. It’s a reminder to place our trust in Him alone, the One who directs our paths for the most benefit and blessing.

A New Anointing

What does it mean to carry a new anointing?

It means you’ve been tested, tried and baptized in the fires of life, and come out shining like pure gold. It means God has used the pain of your experiences to remove the impurities in the heart and mind. Others used to look at our lives and see just a person like Jacob, with imperfections, insecurities, and character flaws. Greater anointing means the world will see less of us and more of Jesus Christ in everything we do and say.

In the natural, a limp may appear to have made a person weaker, but in the Kingdom of God, it’s made them stronger. Because when we are weak, He is strong! And when we decrease. He is increased.

Life and circumstances may have caused the fire to burn you, but God promises to turn it around and cause it to set you ablaze (Romans 8:28). You went into the furnace trying to keep in together on your own, but you came out triumphant in God. Your ‘limp” is a reminder that you have overcome through Christ and now carry a new Spiritual anointing,

Why God Hides His Will For You

There’s a old proverb that that says:

Give a man a fish and he’ll feed himself for just a day, but give him the means to catch his own fish and he’ll be able to feed himself and his family for a lifetime.

The principle is clear and, on the surface at least, compelling. It is often used as the difference between helping someone or teaching them to fend for themselves. One gives what is needed in the mom; the other seeks to provide the means for being self-sustained.

The Will Of God For You

The book of Hebrews reminds us that in the Old Testament era God spoke many times in many ways (Hebrews 1:1). We think not just of prophets being given direct words from God, but also of angels appearing with divine guidance, of visions, dreams, and even personal messages appearing on a wall to declare what to take place (Daniel 5:5).

If you look back on such times, you can easily feel a little envious. Which of us wouldn’t want our own private angel to tell us how to best navigate life? Or a vision to let us know what God’s will is? Without such direct revelations, it can be hard to discern what God would have us do.

But when we think that way, we may actually be asking for less, rather than more.

The New Testament is not short on teaching about God’s will. It is there. It is also clear. But it is often not as specific as we would like. On one occasion Paul writes, “This is the Will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). That’s all well and good, but what job should I take? Should I move next year? Should I be pursuing marriage? And would about all the smaller decisions we face each day?

How We Find God’s Will

God hasn’t given us a magic 8 ball. That might seem frustrating. But He has given something much better:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Roman 12:2

This is our relationship to God’s will; not that He emails a daily briefing of what were to do each day, but that He gradually renews our minds, changing the way we work, giving us the capacity to discern His will without moment-by-moment direct updates. But the trick is if we want God’s will for our life, we have to allow Him into our hearts so that He can do that changing work that needs to be done.

This is hugely dignifying. God is not telling us what to think at every moment, but how to think. He’s rarely telling us what decision to make, but teaching us how to make decisions.

What God Is After

There are a couple of examples of this in the New R. We’ve already seen what Paul said to the Thessalonians. God’s will is that we are sanctified; that by increasing measure we become more and more like He is; holy (1 Peter 1:15). A significant component of that is therefore resisting all sexual immortality. Any move toward sexual sin (mental or physical ) is a direct contradiction of God’s will As we take God’s word, we gain a better understanding of what He’s like, and what He likes.

Romans 8;29 says “Those He foreknew He also predestined to be confirmed to the image of His Son, so that he might be the firstborn of many brothers.” (or sisters )What’s God’s will for you? That you become more like Jesus, and that many others become more like Him too. Anything that leafs us toward that end is God’s will.

Many people today are moving away from churches. They don’t want to make the sacrifice to go church every week. Some people feel like they are being judged by others, Some just think they’re too busy, or need a few more hours of sleep before returning to their busy work week.

I will be the first one to admit some times I don’t feel like going to church. But then I think “This isn’t about what I want, it’s about what God wants.” I don’t get up and go to church for the people that are there. I go to seek God, it’s my soul purpose. I also think tithing comes from the heart. No one should make you feel guilty about tithing. That is between you and God. I think of it as I’m sowing into my inheritance in heaven.

Having a relationship with God isn’t about what others think, or say. It’s about doing God’s will. The Bible doesn’t say I have to sit at my desk a 7:00 AM with a open Bible. But it does say I’m to become more like Christ. And this won’t happen without spending time with Him in His word and praying.

Transformed, Not Just Informed

So, God doesn’t give us a spiritual GPS – “turn left there, then right.” He gives as an atlas- “this is your destination; get here, by all good means available.”

This may not be as easy as simply being told what to do or where to go, but surely it far more rewarding. God wants to train us not to need angels delivering instructions. He wants to give us far more; the increasing capability, by His Spirit who lives in us, to think like He does- to have our minds rebooted with His operating system. God is not merely handing us a fish when we need to eat, but He’s teaching us how to feed ourselves.

During the process of learning how to “feed ourselves,” however, God’s will often seems frustratingly vague and non-specific. The difficulty is part of the design. In those moments, we must look again at the destination we are headed, pray much, and think carefully about how to get there. God wants so much more that to prescribe our every step. He wants to help change. He does not simply want to inform us, but to transform us.

Why Are We So Hard On Ourselves?

We all have a inner critic that affects all of us in some way, with some people having a more harsh voice than others. Some are not even aware of it. Where does it come from, and how much it really affects us.

Being self-critical can activate the fight/flight/ freeze/fawn response in our brains because it interprets our sold-criticism as an emotional attack on ourselves.

But who do we raise awareness around our experience with it? What does self-criticism look like. Here are some common traits of self- criticism:

  • We judge ourselves harshly
  • We fear rejection and family
  • We experience low self-worth
  • Our self-talk often included words like “I should, I could, I shouldn’t have done, I will never”
  • We are very task and achievement oriented
  • We often set unrealistic expectations of ourselves
  • We feel underserving of basic respect and understanding from ourselves or others
  • We have a very low (or non-existent) tolerance for making mistakes
  • We may experience perfectionistic or people pleasing tendencies
  • We have a hard time developing close relationships and opening up to people

Can you relate to any of the traits?

You may be wondering where all this self-criticism comes from. It is not always necessary to understand this, but it can be helpful to understand the root cause,

Reasons Behind Self-Criticism

  • Early Trauma or Peer Relationships:

If at an early trauma happened and they were very critical of you or themselves, there’s a chance that self-critical traits and resulting behaviors were projected onto you. This may be a person being highly critical of you or others, whether they were hard to please, controlling, or comparing you to others, or lacking affection. It could have been verbally or emotionally “You sister is smarter than you” or “you will never make it in life why do you even try” or non- verbally with disapproving g looks, the silent treatment, or eye rolls.

There is a way that teasing can be healthy, such as playful teasing between loved ones. However, when peers or family members becomes unhealthy and may turn into bullying, this can lead to a harsh inner voice. Children are very impressionable and are much more likely to internalize negative comments from others begin to form our own beliefs about ourselves , or identities, and our self-esteem. At a young age, it is hard for us to differentiate between comments we should or shouldn’t take to heart, especially when these comments are coming from people who are close to us.

Self-criticism can be viewed as a learned behavior. If someone who cares for you is dealing with their own self-criticism and you may have picked upon that and began to treat yourself in the same way.

  • Cultural Beliefs

Within some cultures, it is believed that self-criticism is an effective motivator. This includes your families culture.

People who were raised with this type of parenting may have parented you in the same way. They were most likely well-meaning and not entirely wrong. Self-criticism does motivate in the short term. But, there are a few problems with this type of motivation. self-criticism motivates from the basis of fear and judgement, which leads to many problems that far outweigh the benefits of using this type of motivation.

  • Abuse

Any kind of abuse – physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, or psychological can contribute to self-criticism. Whether is was recurring or happened one time, it can still have an impact on how you view and treat yourself.

When we begin to see the root cause of our self-criticism, then and only then can we begin healing and working on our self-critical views and work on using self-compassion to quiet our inner critic.

Why Did God Destroy Sodom And Gomorrah?

The simple ways of sudden Camorra were so corrupt that God destroyed the two cities with fire sparing only the family of Lot.

The Bible account of Sodom and Gomorrah is a cautionary account of the destructive consequences of sin. Sodom and Gomorrah were series mentioned in Genesis, notorious for their flagrant sin Genesis 18:21-21 states.,

The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great that their sin is so Grevious that I will go down to see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me, if not, I will know.

Genesis 18:20-21

When Abraham learned of God’s plan to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, he asked God if He will spare then if He can find 50 innocent, godly people. God reassures Abraham that if he finds 50 righteous people He will spare the city for their sake. Abraham didn’t ask about a lesser and lesser number and held down to 10 people as God answers, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it” (Genesis 18:32).

God’s Angels Arrive In Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sodom was one of the most ancient cities of Syria. It was commonly Ningen in connection with Gomorrah, but also with Admah and Zeboim, and o one occasion with Bella or Zohar (Genesis 14:1). Saddam was evidently the chief town n the settlement.

After leaving Abraham, God’s angels arrive at the gates of Sodom and Gomorrah where they were greeted by the gate keeper Lot. He pleaded with the angels to join him in his house so he could wash her feet and serve them a meal. The angels agreed and went to the house of Lot. Lot was a foreigner to the realm of Sodom and not succumbed to the lustful, degenerate sins rampant in the city.

Sodom, Sodomy, and Sodomites.

One of the most prevalent sins in Sodom was homosexuality of the men, engaging in sexual relations with the other men and boys. Bottom is where they get the term “sodomy and sodomites” named after this widespread sin of the town. After the angels entered the home of Lot, the men of the city surrounded Lot’s house. According to Genesis 19:5, “ they called out to Lot ‘ where are the man who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them.”

Lot pleaded with the crowd to reconsider, even offering his two Bergen daughters in place of the two visiting men, whose angelic identity was apparently unknown to the lustful sodomites. “get out of our way,” they replied. “ this fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! Will treat you worse than them” (Genesis 19:9). As the crowd moved to break down the door, the men inside pulled Lot back inside and shut the door.

As Genesis 19:11-13 states, “Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door. The two man said to Lot, “ Do you have anyone else here – sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that He has sent us to destroy it.”

The Burning Of Sodam and Gomorrah.

After lot is unable to convince his son-in-law to leave the city, he fled Sodom with his wife and two daughters encouraged by the two angels that the Lord will look after them. The Angels first tell Lot to flee to the mountains, but Lot requests that his family go to a near by city, named Zohar, to ensure their survival.

The Bible describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:23-29, stating:

By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rain down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah -from the Lord out of the heavens. He overthrew both cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities – and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Early the next morning Abraham got up and return to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. So when god destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities were Lot had lived.

Genesis 19:23-29

Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt as she looked back, “for disobeying the instruction not to look back. Her actions suggest that she identified with the people of Sodom. Her failure to free God’s punishment becomes a vivid warning to others (Luke 17:32).

This account of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as a lesson of the consequences of sin and the wrath of God.