Friend to Friend

Do you remember the first Rocky movie? (I just looked it up and there have been eight.) In the very first film about the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa falls madly in love with the very demure Adrian who works at a Tropical Fish pet store. Adrian is very intelligent, shy, and cautious. Rocky is, well, none of those things. In one scene, Adrian’s brother, Paulie, asked Rocky what he sees in his sister. Rocky answers, “She’s got gaps, I got gaps. Together we fill gaps.”

But Rocky got it all wrong. Adrian’s got gaps. He’s got gaps. And no person is going to fill those gaps.

Let me put it this way. I’ve got gaps. You’ve got gaps. And no person is going to fill those gaps. God is the only one Who can. 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.

In Exodus 3, Moses asked God to tell him His name. God replied, “I AM.”

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. When I feel that I am not enough, God says, “I AM.”

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, leave a comment and say, I’m moving forward!

 

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, I have gaps, and I am so thankful that You are the great I AM who fills in those gaps. You fill in my insufficiency with Your all-sufficiency. You fill in my inadequacy with Your all-supply. You fill in my pain with Your healing purpose. Today, I will walk in faith with con-fid-ence.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Now It’s Your Turn

Are you depending on an earthly relationship to fill in your gaps? A husband? A boyfriend? A child? If so, how is that working for you?
What do you need to change in your life to allow God to fill in your gaps rather than other people?

 

More from the Girlfriends

Do the voices in your head tell you that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or just not enough, period? If so, it’s time to stop listening to the lies that sabotage your confidence and replace them with truth. Check out Sharon’s book, Enough: Silencing the Lies that Steal Your Confidence and start believing the truth about who God says you are.

 

 

 

 

Also, check out Sharon’s FREE Quick Reference Guide to 70 common lies and the truth that replaces them.

 

 

© 2023 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.

Did you know that Girlfriends in God relies solely on the ongoing generosity of friends like you? As a global nonprofit ministry, financial support from sisters all over the world fuels our efforts to produce biblical devotions with the goal of equipping women to apply the gospel to all of life. Would you consider making a small gift, or becoming a monthly partner, to help sustain the GiG’s ministry? To make a donation please go to https://girlfriendsingod.com/donate/

Did someone forward this devotional to you? Click here  to receive Girlfriends in God weekday devotions delivered directly to your inbox!