Topic: Can’t Handle It? God Already Knows [RICK WARREN Devotional 12 March 2020]
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BY RICK WARREN — MARCH 12, 2020
“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
(1 Peter 5:5 CSB)If you start thinking about all the problems you’ve ever had, then you’ll realize that they all have one thing in common: you. When you reach that point, the best choice is to humble yourself and confess your inadequacy.
This is what King Jehoshaphat did when three powerful armies were coming to wage war against him. He said, “We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do” (2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT).When he confessed, he was able to worship instead of worry.
Confessing your inadequacy can be hard. Humbling yourself is rarely easy or fun.
God wants you to humble yourself because the Bible says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5 CSB).
Pride repels God’s grace, but humility attracts it. God wants to pour his grace into your life, but he won’t do it as long as pride is in the way. So you have to humble yourself and confess your inadequacy.
Here’s the great thing about confessing your inadequacy: You’re just telling God what he already knows! When you tell him, “I can’t handle this,” that is no surprise to God. In fact, Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV).
But Philippians 4:13 tells the rest of the story: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).
Christ is powerful; you are powerless. There is no middle ground. But like the verse says, when we rely on him, Christ will give us strength.
So, when you find yourself facing the impossible, you have to confess your inadequacy. He won’t force himself into your situation. But he is ready and waiting to respond to your confession.
- In what situations have you confessed your inadequacy?
- What has happened when you’ve tried to handle problems on your own, without the help of God?
- How do things turn out better when you humble yourself and let God work out your problems?