In the very first Rocky movie, the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa, very eloquently encourages his demure girlfriend, Adrian. “I got gaps. You got gaps. Together we got no gaps.”
But Rocky got it all wrong. He’s got gaps. Adrian’s got gaps. And no person alive is going to fill those gaps. God is the only One who can fill our gaps. And I’d go so far as to say that He is the One who gave us those gaps so that He can fill them. He is the great I AM who fills our gaps and fills in our blanks.
When we say, “I’m not good enough.”
God says, “I AM.”
When we say, “I’m not smart enough.”
God says, “I AM.”
When we say, “I'm not strong enough.”
God says, “I AM.”
When we say, “I’m not ________ enough.”
God says, “I AM.”
He is the God who fills in our gaps. He is the God who fills in our blanks.
I’ve often heard it said there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, that cannot be filled by another created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote: “[God] said to me . . . for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9, AMPC).
Paul knew what he could accomplish on his own: nothing. Oh, he could be busy. We all can do that. But bearing “fruit that will remain” is another story. This is how he viewed his own personal weaknesses:
I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.”
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become (2 Cor. 12:7–10, MSG).
Paul had great confidence. The prefix “con” means “with,” and the root “fid” means “faith.” So a confident person is one who walks in faith. When you allow God to fill in your gaps with His power and provision, you will have the confidence and courage to leave the limpid land of in-between and march into the Promised Land of life to the full!
That’s where I want to go today. Where I want to live. How about you? If you’re ready to stop wandering around in the wilderness of indecision and start moving forward to take hold of your Promised Land of life to the full, say to yourself “I’m taking hold!”
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Amen.
Culled from: Girlfriends in God
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