WALKING WITH A LIMP
You may/may not have heard of Aesop’s Fables. One of them tells of, “The Hare and the Tortoise”. As we know a tortoise (turtle) moves at a snail’s pace while a hare (rabbit) makes leaps and bounds. What Hare did not know was that there was no time to relax because Tortoise had a strategy. Hare was so confident in his agility that he decided to take time to recline along the way during the race.
In the meantime Tortoise kept both his focus and his perseverance. Hare woke up to the sounds of cheering and congratulations just in time to see Tortoise cross the finish line. He had underestimated the power of: purpose, resolve and reward, and effort and endurance.
Remember, the race is not to the swift, but to those who endure to the end. (From Eccl.9:11)
REFERENCES: Genesis 32: 24-32; 2 Corinthians 12: 6-10 (NKJV)
Genesis 32:24-3124 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 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. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”He said, “Jacob.”28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel;[a] for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:[b] “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel[c] the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.
After Jacob deceived Esau, he left home to escape Esau’s anger. We can imagine the pain Jacob felt. Although the circumstances were orchestrated by his mother (so it seemed), he had enough time on his hand, to reflect on the situation he faced. Would he have chosen that path on his own? He really wanted to be with his family and be surrounded by his friends in his hometown. Definitely, that was familiar territory. He grew up there. Everyone knew the twins. What were they thinking now that they did not see him anymore? I guess Rebecca, his mother, would concoct an explanation. All that transpired was NOT a part of his plan for himself.
As if being exiled was not hard enough, at night, his pillow was a stone. How does one rest on a stone? You don’t! Let us recount his life so far: Mother devised a plan which had adverse effects for him; he had to be separated from his twin; he feared for his life; Uncle Laban deceived him. To add insult to injury, while he was weary and tried to sleep, there came this angel who wrestled with him. Seemingly, he forgot that just before he left home he had received the eldest son’s blessing, so he refused to let go of the angel without the angel’s blessing. This struggle resulted in his having a limp.
A limp : (a) slows us down (b) makes us less competitive (c) causes embarrassment (d) brings unwelcome attention and speculation (e) and sometimes despondence. When we measure our progress by that of our counterparts, we may experience (a-e) or all the above. Take time to say, “I have a limp, but I am still walking. I am being propelled to the next step”. Let us be thankful for the advance. We are still going forward, albeit baby steps.
Reflect on what Jacob experienced because of his limp. It enveloped: a blessing, a change of name (Israel), an encounter with God at Bethel, and preparation for reconciliation with his estranged brother. Although his limp was an encumbrance it mushroomed the following: the restoration of the relationship with his brother; Esau called him lord and declared that he was Jacob’s servant (prophesied by Daddy Isaac); he shared his wealth with Esau; and he made it to Canaan, acquired land and built a place of worship.
Jacob could have sat back, reveled in his situation and nursed his misfortune because he didn’t have a limp when he left home. There was no way for him to foresee all that would transpire in his life, but he had left with his father’s blessing. Despite his limp, he progressed in everything God had for him. We too may not yet know where our limp may lead us.
The scriptures tell us of another person who had a limp. This is Saul. Incidentally, he also was given a change of name (Paul) when he encountered God. We also have a new name: Child of God, when we have a relationship with him.
2 Corinthians 12:6-10
6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
After Saul was converted, as Paul, we are told that he did wonders for the gospel. He received many revelations by the Holy Spirit. Human nature dictated that he should become prideful, but Paul recognized that that would be foolish. It would have been easy for people to think of him as someone special instead of giving glory to God for the change they saw in his life. As a result he received a limp: a thorn in the flesh.
We are not told what constituted that thorn, but it was disturbing enough for Paul to repeatedly ask God to remove it. On neither the first nor second time that he prayed, did he get an answer. However, on the third time, God told him that His grace was sufficient for him. How much time transpired between those prayers? We do not know. Could it be days, months, or years? Possibly!
One would think that Paul would have been spared that inconvenience (the thorn), since he was doing such a tremendous job of sharing Christ. Not so! We are not immune to trouble. Our labor for the Lord does not necessarily shield us from the enemy’s attacks. Rather, our shield is FAITH. When we disturb the Evil One’s plans, he becomes angry.
In Acts 9:13-16, the Bible declares that Saul was a chosen vessel unto God to spread the gospel and suffer many things. Both in John 15:16 and 1Peter 2:9 we also are called chosen. What does our chosenness (my lexicon) entail? In 2 Peter 2:9 we are told that the Lord knows how to deliver the godly…. Can we trust His knowledge? Yes, we can! So Paul, instead of licking his wound, began to focus on the sufficiency of God’s grace. This new perspective caused him to state that he would rather boast in his limpness. Why? 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 tells us: 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Consider this: For every trial that we face, God gives us grace and strength. His grace is sufficient. In other words it is : enough, abundant, not limited, wanting nothing, meeting the given need, precise. Then, His strength is made perfect: without flaw or blemish, mature, a good fit, suitable, conformable, on target, pointed. Can we use some of those?
Look at the transition. When Paul’s focus shifted from his thorn (limp), he saw the power of Christ and resolved to ‘gladly glory in infirmities’. It takes the power of and confidence in Christ to make such a declaration. Is it easy? No! Can it be done? Yes…that the power of Christ may rest on us! We may say that we are so weak, we can’t take the problems. That’s a good place to be. When we realize that we are incapable, God gets the chance to show His strength.
It took real fortitude for Paul to declare that he was OK with sickness, mistreatment, lack and trials. That came about when he recognized that his troubles were for God’s glory. He concluded by saying that he was strong when he was weak. That, on the surface, seems so contradictory, but we are told how to walk: humbly (Micah 6:8); in truth (Psalm 86:11); honestly (1 Thessalonians 4:12); worthy (Ephesians 4:1); in good works (Ephesians 2:10). All these walks, even with our limp, exalt Christ. We can trade our helplessness for the might of the One who resides in us.
What has caused our limp? Stop! Don’t rehearse it anymore! Recite the fact that we have abundant, sufficient grace and strength. His grace is so sufficient that while we are walking with a limp we can also take our limping sisters’ hands. We will all make the journey, leaning on the everlasting arms. Don’t stop! Keep on moving! A little progress is better than none at all! Walk, even with a limp.
REFLECTION
Discuss the power of: purpose, resolve and reward, and effort and endurance.
Dr. O. A. James