No Limits

       We like to think we have no limits.  It makes us feel powerful.  But the truth is we are limited in almost every way possible.  We are limited in life span.  We have limited vision.  We have limited hearing.  We have limited physical capabilities.  And we certainly have limited understanding.  I mean, we can’t even understand our relationships let alone the smallest part of the physical world we live in.

       We try to understand.  We spend years of effort and billions of dollars trying to understand how some things work, what their capabilities are, how life started, how it all works and works together.  This lack of understanding causes us to fail in many ways.  We can’t fix certain health issues, change destructive weather, find cures, make things last forever, etc.

       God, however, has no limits.  He is all powerful, sees all, hears all and knows all.  And there is no limit to His understanding.  That is a good thing to know.  He understands everything about how life works and works together.  He should since He created it all.

Great is our LORD, and of great power; There is no limit to His understanding. Ps. 147:5

       God understands the general capabilities of man but also our individual capabilities.  That means when He asks us to do something He knows we are capable of doing it with His help (Zc. 4:6; Php. 4:13).  He understands why we do the things we do yet He still calls us to improve (Ep. 4:14,15), and helps us with that as well (2Cr. 3:18).  God is NOT limited in His understanding and that is comforting to know because it means the best thing to me:

God understands me!

Inside and out, upside and down, motives and desires, hopes and dreams, thoughts and actions, even when I don’t understand myself.  Thank you God!

I Don’t Know

      Although I’m okay with change, I’m also okay without it.  In my life I’ve lived in four houses.  My favorite colour has always been blue, my favorite food lasagna, best place to live- in the country, and sitting at home doesn’t bore me, though I can have lots of fun out with friends.  What I’ve never particularly liked is the unknown.  Unanswered whys of the past and present, unknown whats of the future.

       Why did I suffer this particular trial and what is the Lord preparing me for, are two of my most frustrating questions.  In the past I’ve allowed these unanswered questions to cause me to stumble on my journey.  Kind of silly when I look back at it.  What it really boils down to is a lack of trusting God.

   I didn’t trust that He knew best.

   I didn’t trust that His plans would be fulfilled and that they were best for me.

   I didn’t trust the way He chose to work in my life and the world.

   I didn’t truly, deep down believe He knew what He was doing.

   I didn’t trust that He knew what I needed to go through for spiritual growth.

       It’s easy for some to say ‘trust the Lord’ but saying it and doing it are two different things.  Of course I said it all the time as a young Christian, but the second there was a trial of any kind, my faith failed.  Like human relations in which trust is built over time, trust in God is built over time, usually on a foundation of trials.  Through most of my trials I tried to lean on my own understanding, but when I finally surrendered and said, ‘I don’t know why (this is happening, You won’t fix this, You won’t do a miracle, etc)’

Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Pr. 3:5,6

Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah, And whose confidence is Jehovah. Jr. 17:7 YLT modernized by me.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusts in You. Trust in Jehovah forever; for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. Is. 26:3,4

       When I began to be confident that the Lord was only out for my good and the good of this world, saying ‘I don’t know’ became more acceptable.  Now the peace of the Lord resides in me when I keep my focus and trust in Him.  He is my everlasting strength, the one who keeps me going through all the trials of life and brings joy to my heart in the thick of it.  He is the One I love, the One who loves me and I know beyond knowing that my life is much better for everything He’s allowed me to go through, because they brought me to this place of trust.

       I don’t know specifically what God has planned for my future.  I see bits and pieces now, and a few things are getting clearer.  If He never shows me another thing I’ll be okay because I know it’s all in His dependable, trustworthy hands, and I’m okay with that.  Hear that Lord, I trust You now!  Please help me to increase it ‘til it’s like the trust Jesus had in You.

Jehovah is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song I will praise Him. Ps. 28:7

Breakfast

        I’ve taken to eating breakfast in a different way these days.  Now, since I’m trying to eat gluten free, my breakfasts often mean unusual foods.  So I get ready my mix mash of items, set them out and sit down where ever I feel like it, then bow my head and breathe.  Why breathe?  Because in the rush of getting things done I would usually pray a quick prayer and quite honestly, it wouldn’t be heartfelt- often a bunch of mindless words I’ve said a million times.

       So I breathe.  Then I invite the Lord to ‘sit’ with me so we may ‘dine’ together, and then I pray to Him who sits beside me.  The prayers come out a little different that way and tend to be more honest and truly thankful.  And I have so very much to be thankful for: life, breath, freedom, joy, children, husband, husband who cooks yummy food, friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord, and so many other good things.

       Still, the most important things I am grateful for: the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He didn’t have to extend them to us, but He chose to and chooses to- time and again.  And when I think of how often I have failed Him in the past, still sometimes do and will likely do so in the future, I marvel at the extension of His favour.

Mercy- Benevolence or a tender heart which causes a person to overlook injuries, treat an offender better than he deserves and forgives trespasses or forbear punishment. 
Grace- Free unmerited favour of God who is the source of all benefits toward man.

…"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."… 2Cr. 12:9 ESV 
But the Law entered so that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, Rm. 5:20 
Through Him we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand… Rm. 5:2 
But if by grace, then it is no more of works… Rm. 11:6

       Jesus gives us His grace so that we may be sufficient in it.  This means we can do the things we need to do, all of His will in our lives because He gives us His grace to do them.  To think there is something we can’t do is to fail to see what God can do in us or through us.  The law was meant only to show us our sins which are many and endless, but His grace overcomes our sins because the blood of Jesus Christ pardons us and so by His grace we can stand.  What we do is not by our own means, but by His grace- which we don’t deserve but He still gives freely.

       For me, I think that’s why I am pausing to really pray before meals.  Who He is amazes me and what He has done for me is beyond that.  I can never be grateful enough but I will at least be honest in my words and mean them.  For our great and holy God extends His mercy and grace into our lives every day we live to breathe again.  To Him, I am eternally thankful. Our high priest continues to work for us…

Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hb. 4:16

Sure Sounds Like Today…

Not speeding too much...

I’ll write some of my thoughts after the verses (ESV); this really made me think.

Jer 9:2  …Oh that I had in the desert a travelers' lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, a company of treacherous men.   These are God’s people (the Jews).  Are we not also God’s people?  The adultery is figurative (of idolatry) as we know they weren’t all cheating on their spouses.  Idolaters, violators of the covenant, devoted to earthly things and deceitful.

Jer 9:3  They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD. Falsehood increases even among ‘Christians’. It is far more acceptable today. We easily and without remorse go from one sin to another, justifying our actions.  It is bad enough the world doesn’t know Him, but do we?

Jer 9:4  Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. Trustworthiness is no longer a valued trait. Lying and cheating with work, neighbours, buyers… Many bear tales in attempts to make others look bad, etc. and give out private information.

Jer 9:5  Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. We learn and exercise lying instead of truth, to others and ourselves. We work harder at the pleasures of life justifying our lack of self control and party hardy or build up earthly treasures. 

Jer 9:6  Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the LORD. Literally ‘your home is in the middle of deceit.’ Being powerful is desired. Oppression, deception is commonplace even in North America. Most people here refuse to accept God and Jesus Christ.

Jer 9:7  Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people? This is what will happen to these nations.

Jer 9:8  Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him. Speaking nice to the face and stabbing them in the back, speaking evil about them to others. Put others down to look smarter, morally better, richer, more important, to be liked more, to get the job, promotion, pay raise, cause them to lose their good reputation…

Extra breaks, longer time is stealing from  work!

Jer 9:9  Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? Again, the Lord will punish those who mistreat His creation.

Jer 9:10  "I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard; both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled and are gone. The Lord seems to still be speaking here. Weeping, wailing…

Jer 9:11  I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant." Judgment- destruction.

Jer 9:12  Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? Are we wise? Can we hear His questions of us?

Jer 9:13  And the LORD says: "Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it,

Jer 9:14  but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.   …There will be God’s judgment. Be warned!

Consider our fourfold sin (as a nation and even His children):

       -forsaking God’s law He gave us

       -not obeying His voice or walking in it

       -stubbornly following our own hearts, ways, paths…

       -idolatry

        (today mostly found in the form of devices, games, tv, money, possessions…)

Oh Lord, please have mercy on us your children, for the poor examples we may be displaying... and for not speaking out in this country for Your truth!

Slow Moving Shampoo

       So I’ve had a particularly annoying problem lately.  When I was in the tub washing my hair, the shampoo would come out unusually slow.  I thought it was due to the very cold weather we’ve been having coupled with the fact of the shampoo bottle being on the un-insulated ‘outside’ wall.  Frustrated, after a week of this, I took time to look at the bottle and noticed it was plugged up with hardened shampoo leaving the opening far smaller than it was intended to be.

       It is still weird to think of this happening because the type of shampoo I use is clear and has nothing that sticks to the hair, so how would it possibly solidify enough at the top of the bottle to plug it up?  But sure enough it had closed up the opening to less than half of the size thus slowing down the outflow dramatically. 

       Just like our spiritual lives when we suddenly feel plugged up as if the Spirit isn’t flowing through us or we can’t seem to hear the Lord well anymore.  We think about doing this or that, but we don’t often think about really, deeply looking at the issue to find the problem.  We’re a quick fix society, oil change in 10 mins., band aid over it, mask the problem, but we don’t often go for the ‘get at the root of it’ solution… it just takes too long.  Really though, it just prolongs the problem.

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. Ps. 119:59

And now so says Jehovah of Hosts: Set your heart on your ways; you have sown much and bring in little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you dress, but no one is warm; and he who hires out himself hires himself for a bag full of holes. Hg. 1:5,6

     So what is it that is plugging up our flow with the Lord?  Is it putting our own pleasures first- worldliness, ambition, inability to be still and listen, too many of our own tasks; perhaps we still have God in a box instead of completely surrendering to Him, His will and His ways.  Maybe we are being childish and doing it out of spite.  No matter the reason.  Take a close look and figure out what the problem is.  Then do something about it.  Don’t just leave it all gummed up, knock out that blockage!

with practical action if possible.

with prayer for sure.