When circumstances pull all
I cannot and may never be able to
I will not fret, I will trust.
When men who can’t see far announce
All that I lack and may never gain
I will not fret, I will trust.
When things appear impossible
Defying my limited abilities
I will not fret, I will trust.
When times rise against me
Defeating my effort, denying my dues
I will not fret, I will trust;
I will trust not in what I can or can’t
I will trust not in what I have or lack
I will trust not in what I do or don’t
And I will trust not in what is or not
My whole trust will rest in the One
Who alone is able, who alone can:
Because whatever I can’t, God can.

Food For Thought: When our inability catches up with our desire for action in the face of challenges, we head toward discouragement; we fret and we judge ourselves harshly. When our performance fails to meet our lofty expectations, disappointment teams up with our failure and condemns us as no good. It is only the wise who acknowledge their humanity in the face of challenges and focus their trust and confidence on the Almighty. Yes, there are things we cannot do no matter how we wish we could. Things we may never be able to accomplish despite how bad we would want to. Do those make us any less? Not at all. The wise know their limits and how to make up whatever is lacking. They know that their best is comparative: my best may not meet what is needed to accomplish something which someone else can do better. The wise don’t condemn themselves especially after they have given their best. They don’t deny the gap. They don’t keep wasting resources trying to fill what they can’t or hoping the gap will disappear. They step back and evaluate what is needful to meet the shortage. They consider who and how the gap can be filled. They acknowledge not only their shortfall but also the fact that help is not impossible. They are not ashamed to ask as the need arises. When they ask, they know what to ask for. They know who to ask. They know how to ask. And they ask in faith, in hope, and more often than not, their clear and well guided expectations are not disappointed. The wise recognize their limitations and they work their connection to the unlimited One, knowing where to give their best and when to step aside so that He, who can do it all, will find room enough to step in, use whomsoever He pleases, to complete what they can’t. They are not afraid to accept their strength, not ashamed to acknowledge their limits and to confess that they know Him who can.

Scripture: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4: 13.

Prayer: Dear Lord, when things and those around remind me of my weaknesses and failures, may my trust in You shield me from throwing in the towel: may my confidence in You remain secure until I have overcome, amen.