The Power of the Chameleon

God gives you the power of the chameleon to obtain wealth.
(Deuteronomy 8:18)

God has a way of surprising us. Sometimes with a parable.
Sometimes with a proverb. Sometimes with… a lizard?

We read about donkeys pulled from wells on the Sabbath. We try to live wise as serpents and gentle as doves. Yet it seems God enjoys using animals in His Word to catch our attention.

Why?

Because animals have a way of exposing our assumptions.

And sometimes, God uses what we least expect to open our eyes to what we most need.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.
It is the glory of kings to seek it out.

That is how I found myself thinking about a chameleon.
And I realized that my Father was teaching me something hidden in plain sight.

The Power You Already Have

Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us that God gives us power to obtain wealth. The Hebrew word is kôach.

It means strength. Capacity. Ability.
And yes, large lizard. Chameleon.

A strange word choice? Maybe.
Or maybe a reminder that power is not always what we imagine.

It can build or destroy. Heal or harm.
It can push ahead or wait in stillness.

Jesus knew this well.
He said, The Son can do nothing by Himself. He only does what He sees the Father doing. (John 5:19)

Power used God’s way is always tied to obedience.

When Predictability Becomes a Problem

One day the Holy Spirit spoke softly but clearly.
You are too predictable.

It was not a rebuke. It was a wake-up call.

I started seeing it everywhere. The patterns I defaulted to. The ways I leaned on my own personality instead of the Holy Spirit.

Even when God spoke, I filtered His voice through my own assumptions.

So I prayed, Lord, do not let my personality limit what You want to do through me. I lay it down. Break the box I have built for myself.

God answered by pointing me to Jesus.

Jesus never moved on autopilot.
He climbed mountains. He taught in temples. He flipped tables. He healed the broken. He slipped away to pray.

Every action flowed from one source: the Father’s will.

He lived the crucified life. The surrendered life. The life that says,
I only do what I see the Father doing.

He moved when the Father moved.
Spoke when the Father spoke.
Stayed silent when the Father said nothing.

Like the chameleon, Jesus adjusted in every moment. Always in step with the Father.

The Quiet Wisdom of the Chameleon

A chameleon changes color for a reason.
To communicate. To adjust. To respond.

It moves slowly. Waits patiently. Strikes with precision.

It never acts in panic. Never forces a moment.

It does exactly what it was designed to do. Exactly when it needs to do it.

That is the life God calls us to.

And in my heart, I heard Him say,
Be just like the chameleon.

Whatever I ask of you, I have already given you the power to do.
Trust Me.

So…

If you are ready to think differently, open His Word.

If you are tired of living on repeat, go pull a donkey out of a well on the Sabbath.

And if you are searching for the answer to life’s riddle, maybe it is hidden right where God always places His treasures — in the unexpected places of His Word.

Be just like the chameleon.