Book review: Limitless by Nick Vujicic

“Limitless” is Nick Vujicic’s first devotional which draws on materials from two of his previous books, Life Without Limits and Unstoppable.

As explained by Nick, the title “Limitless” refers to God’s limitless love and power. This is a powerful devotional because it is a collection of his personal testimonies of his faith walk with God despite the challenges of having no arms and legs.

The struggle he has faced would resonate with readers of his books. For example, this is his take on unanswered prayer:  “I prayed to God that I would wake up with arms and legs. Those prayers were not answered. I grew angry and then depressed. Thoughts of suicide drove me to make an attempt on my own life, but I stopped short when I realized my death would burden my loved ones with guilt and grief. Over time, I came to understand that God has not brought me into the world without limbs to punish me. Instead, He had a plan for me, an incredible plan to serve Him by inspiring and leading others to lives of Christian faith.”

There are 50 chapters in this 163 pages devotional and I think it would be really useful to read 1 chapter several times for a week before moving on to the next chapter. Through repetition and constant renewal of our mind based on the same chapter over a week, I think readers could potentially assimilate the truth and wisdom of God’s Word concerning, inter alia, our faith in Him, and receive a greater insight / revelation of God as God in His limitless love and power.

At the end of each chapter there is a useful recapitulation which summarizes the lessons learnt and comes forth as apples of gold in setting of silver. Consider chapter 3, for example, where Nick wrote: “Whatever circumstances you face, God will use you for His purposes. It may be years before you understand what that purpose might be. In some cases, you may never know the full extent of His plans or why He allows some things to happen to you. That’s why it is necessary to put your faith in action by knowing God is with you and by knowing that even though bad things may happen, they do not change the fact that He loves you.”

This devotional is a great help for us to overcome personal limitations by deepening our faith in and walk with our limitless God. After reading it, you may, well, wanna bless someone else with a copy of “Limitless”. Happy reading!

For more information on Nick Vujicic, please click on the following links:

* NickVujicic Home Page

* NickVujicic World Outreach Web Series Trailer

 

"Trust in the LORD" by Kong Hee

(Source: Devotionals of November 2005 by Rev Dr Kong Hee)

" “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,And whose hope is the Lord." Jeremiah 17:7 (NKJV)

The key to success and victory in life is not in ourselves but in God. David was a shepherd boy, unskilled in the weapon of war, but he defeated Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, with a single sling shot. He was not of royal lineage, but he went on to become the greatest king Israel ever had. What was the secret of his greatness? It was his dependence and his trust in God. David cried, "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water" (Psalms 63:1; NKJV)

John Knox, the famous Scottish revivalist, was famous for his power in prayer. Queen Mary said she feared his prayers more than Europe's armies. When the Spanish armada fought the English in 1588, Queen Elizabeth I of England called the nation to prayer. As a result, a storm arose and destroyed 65 of the Armada's 130 ships while the English lost none.

It is evident that as long as men seek God, as long as we pray, our lives will be successful and victorious. We will be able to achieve our aims and remain protected. In the course of King Asa's reign over Judah (1 Kings 15:9-24), he changed both its history and future. Under his rule, he courageously deposed of his infamous idolatress grandmother, who had severely influenced Judah toward idolatry. He also drove out the Sodomites and then destroyed all the idols that his father had worshiped. Not only did this great leader himself seek after God, he commanded the entire nation to do likewise.

The prophet, Azariah said this of King Asa, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you" (2 Chronicles 15:2). As we look back in history, we see that the Word of God is true: Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength (Jeremiah 17:5, 7). God is no respecter of persons. His word works for all who would believe and act upon it.

Joy in the Mist of Trials

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4 (NKJV)

It is not easy to find believers who are joyful while going through trials. When we revert to worldly wisdom in our carnal minds, it would appear reasonable not to rejoice in the midst of trials. Indeed, the world has its reasonable test of how a person would respond to trials -- along the downstream drift of nurse it, curse it and rehearse it. We can call this the 'Poor Me' syndrome or  'Victim Mentality', no joy intended.

However, when our mind is renewed by the Word of God, we can face trials squarely with the grace of God and in the knowledge of His unconditional-and-everlasting love for us. Notably, Jesus Christ and Paul did not allow trials to rob them of their joy. 

Just as Jesus has completed His race for the joy that was set before Him, we are urged to do the same:"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)

Having obtained the gospel through the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12), Paul paints for us a landscape of reasons for his joy, perseverance and hope in Christ in his various writings by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit such as the following verses from Romans 8: 

"18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 

33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 

34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 

36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Many Christians would probably fancy a trouble-free life. But that is not in the plan of God! As we are seeing in God's Word, trials or persecutions will produce patience or perseverance and really goes to prove that our faith is genuine -- that we will live by faith anchored in Christ alone and secured in the love of Christ.

Indeed, as Jesus said, 

"Blessed are you when men hate you,And when they exclude you,And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven,For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets." Luke 6:22-23 (NKJV)

Also, consider the following Scripture passages:

"My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful." James 5:10-12 (NKJV)

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen[a] you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:7-9 (NKJV)

What shall we say then in the light of this? I would say that while we are in the midst of trials, it would be only a mist in Christ. When we have Christ, we have everything; when we have everything except Christ, we have nothing. I would even venture to echo that apart from Christ, we are nothing.

Let's keep digging into God's Word and grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ!