Typically I start each blog by asking a question. But if I start with today’s question, “Do we limit God?”, then today’s blog would go something like this:
Do we limit God? Yes. May I pray?
And that would be it. Some of you may prefer a short blog that gets right to the point, but leave it to me to expound. Since the answer is “Yes, we limit God”, I’m changing it up. My new question is this:
How do we limit God?
Yikes! That takes a bit more effort. So fill up another cup of coffee and let’s think about it. How do we limit God? Here are three ways:
1. We put God in a box. We confine God to our limitations. What we know, what we see, what we understand, what we assume. We don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes. We don’t know what other people are thinking or doing. We don’t know how others will react. And so we worry. We plot. We investigate and snoop. We crumble. We do all kinds of things and make decisions on our own. We’re in the driver’s seat of our life and we struggle. And then we pray to God based on our limitations. We’re asking Him for things to help us in our daily life. Here’s the thing. There’s nothing wrong with asking God for help with everyday issues. In fact, He wants us to do that. But what if we started opening up our life and our struggles to Him without limits? What if instead of praying, “Lord, please help me do a good job in this presentation today,” we prayed, “Lord, please shine Your light through me today so others may see You for Your glory.” Or what if instead of praying, “Lord, please bring him back to me,” we prayed, “Lord, please bring him to You.” God can do so much more than what we ask or imagine. If we’ll let go of our limitations and allow Him to take control based on His limitless power, we’ll start seeing Him work in a whole new way. That brings us to #2.
2. We forget what God has done in the past. We get so wrapped up in our current stresses and struggles that we forget about God’s ultimate power. He has shown His strength and power over and over again for thousands of years. And to prove His miracles aren’t a fluke, God does them more than once. Like parting large bodies of water: God parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River at flood stage so that millions of people and their livestock could walk to the other side on dry land. Like raising dead people to life: Jesus called Lazarus to life after 4 days in a tomb, and then Jesus Himself was resurrected after unlocking the chains of sin and death. Like healing people who had been crippled or suffered from leprosy or had uncontrollable bleeding for decades. With a word or a touch, Jesus healed person after person after person. Lives were changed. Families were changed. But God hasn’t changed. He still has the same power today that He’s displayed through millennia. He still works miracles today. He still transforms lives. He still heals––physically, emotionally, spiritually. He is still willing and able to show His power for His glory. Not to boast. But to turn our heart and our trust back to Him.
3. We forget who He is. We think of God as a far away mystic who has more important things to do than to deal with our petty issues. We forget that God has no limits. God is Elohim, the Creator. He created heaven and earth and everything in them. God is El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One. He can and will provide for every need in every situation. God is El Elyon, God Most High. He alone is in control of all things. God is Jehovah-rapha, the LORD Who Heals. He has the power to heal fully, and He will always renew our spiritual health if we surrender to Him. God is Jehovah-sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts. He is our deliverer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All of the names we can use to call upon God show His character. Who He is to the core. And in all of them we see a common thread: God is love. He is the very essence and fullness of love. He lives and forgives with an unconditional love we can’t fully comprehend. And His desire is that we would love Him for who He is. Abba, our Father.
Do we limit God? Yes. But we can change that. By opening up to Him. By letting go of what we’re trying to control or hold onto. By remembering His unending power that never changes. By getting to know Him for who He really is, and growing in love in the process.
And most importantly, by not just believing He is God, but truly believing that He can and will do mighty works in us and in our life. No holds barred. It’s time to let go and let God.
Believe with hopeful, childlike faith. And let our Father amaze you.
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.” Psalm 147:5
“You are the God who performs miracles; You display Your power among the peoples.” Psalm 77:14
May I pray?
Father God, You want us to stop limiting You by our limited thinking. You want to amaze us. You want us to believe and trust in You with all our heart. You want us to love You without limits. Lord, Your power cannot be contained. Your understanding has no boundaries. And You are trustworthy. Help us to remember not just what You have done throughout the ages, but what You have done for us. Provision. Protection. Small miracles that we know were just that: miracles. May we turn to You today with hope. You are Abba. You are faithful. And You will transform our life when we let go. Amen.
Q4U: How do you limit God?