We must quit limiting Our Heavenly Father and embrace HIS infinite Love for us!
It is time to get serious with the Truth that FATHER gave us free will to accept or reject HIM, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit in our individual lives. The notion that HE is in full control and allows bad things to happen to HIS Children does not agree with HIS Word OR the Words and acts of Jesus. WE ARE THE ONES WHO LIMIT HIM in our lives, generally out of ignorance and false teaching in the past. Now is the time to renew our minds and get to the Truth of the matter.
It is written by The Holy Spirit in the Psalms chapter 78:
5The story of Israel is a lesson in God’s ways.
HE established decrees for Jacob and established the law in Israel,
and HE commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children.
6For perpetuity God’s ways will be passed down
from one generation to the next, even to those not yet born.
7In this way, every generation will set its hope in God
and not forget HIS wonderful works but keep HIS commandments.
8By following HIS Ways they will break the past bondage
of their fickle fathers, who were a stubborn, rebellious generation
and whose spirits strayed from the eternal God.
They refused to love HIM with all their hearts.
It is quite clear that they had the right to choose to Love and embrace FATHER or be stubborn even after all that HE had done for them.
9Take, for example, the sons of Ephraim.
Though they were all equipped warriors, each with weapons,
when the battle began they retreated and ran away in fear.
10They didn’t really believe the promises of God;
they refused to trust HIM and move forward in faith.
11They forgot HIS wonderful works and the miracles of the past,
12even their exodus from Egypt, the epic miracle of HIS Might.
They forgot the glories of HIS power at the place of passing over.
Who forgot? Not FATHER. Who refused to trust and move forward in faith? Are you getting the picture of where the problem lies?
13God split the sea wide open, and
the waters stood at attention on either side
as the people passed on through!
14By day the moving glory-cloud led them forward.
And all through the night the fire-cloud stood as a sentry of light.
15-16In the days of desert dryness, HE split open the mighty rock (Jesus Christ),
and the waters flowed like a river before their very eyes.
HE gave them all they wanted to drink from HIS Living Springs (The Holy Spirit).
17Yet they kept their rebellion alive against God Most High,
and their sins against God continued to be counted.
They rebelled even though FATHER continued to provide for them. It was and is only a fourteen day trip from Egypt to The Promised Land but their rebellious hearts kept them from entering into HIS fullness.
18In their hearts they tested God just to get what they wanted,
asking for the food their hearts craved.
19-20 Like spoiled children they grumbled against God,
demanding HE prove HIS Love by saying,
“Can’t God provide for us in this barren wilderness?
Will he give us food, or will he only give us water?
Where’s our meal?”
They were attempting to manipulate FATHER like immature, spoiled children. It’s time the fivefold ministry fulfill its mandate and produce mature believers and no longer promote immaturity among those who ought to be mature and stepping out in their own callings.
21Then God heard all their complaining and was furious!
HIS anger flared up against his people.
22For they turned away from faith and walked away in fear;
they failed to trust in HIS power to save them when HE was near.
Faith and trust go hand in hand. Instead, they walked in fear. What did FATHER do in spite of the faithlessness and rebellion?
23-24Still HE spoke on their behalf, and the skies opened up;
the windows of Heaven poured out food,
the mercy bread-manna.
The grain of grace fell from the clouds.
25Humans ate angels’ food—the meal of the mighty ones.
HIS grace gave them more than enough!
26-27The heavenly winds of miracle power blew in their favor,
and food rained down upon them;
succulent quail quieted their hunger as they ate all they wanted.
28Food fell from the skies, thick as clouds;
their provision floated down right in front of their eyes!
29HE gave them all they desired, and they ate to their fill.
How did HIS righteousness deal with their persistent rebellion and rejection? HE lifted HIS Hand of protection from them.
30-31But before they had even finished,
even with their food still in their mouths,
God’s fiery anger arose against them,
killing the finest of their mighty men.
32Yet in spite of all this, they kept right on sinning.
Even when they saw God’s marvels,
they refused to believe God could care for them.
33So God cut their lives short with sudden disaster,
with nothing to show for their lives but fear and failure.
If we refuse to operate in our gifts and callings with persistent rejection of FATHER’S Love, our lives will not be fulfilled but will experience judgment, even unto death. When you ignore and reject Love, there are consequences to your decision. It is not FATHER’S desire or intent than any should perish!
34When HE cared for them they ignored HIM,
but when HE began to kill them, ending their lives in a moment,
they came running back to God, pleading for mercy.
35They remembered that God, the Mighty One,
was their strong Protector,
the Hero-God Who would come to their rescue.
36-37But their repentance lasted only as long as they were in danger;
they lied through their teeth to the true God of the Covenant.
So quickly they wandered away from HIS promises,
following God with their words and not their hearts!
Their worship was only flattery.
Do you think that FATHER was unaware of what was in their hearts? For that matter, do you think HE is unaware of what is in our hearts? HE is not fooled by anyone.
38But amazingly, God—so full of compassion—still forgave them.
HE covered over their sins with HIS Love,
refusing to destroy them all.
Over and over HE held back HIS anger,
restraining wrath to show them mercy.
39He knew that they were made from mere dust—
frail, fragile, and short-lived, here today and gone tomorrow.
40How many times they rebelled in their desert days!
How they grieved HIM with their grumblings.
How long will people tempt FATHER and HIS Love before they suffer judgment? The following verse is the entire point of this writing:
41 Again and again they limited God, preventing HIM from blessing them.
Continually they turned back from HIM
and provoked the Holy One of Israel!
You and I are the ones who have been limiting FATHER in our lives, not HIM!!!
Our mindset must change in order to unlock the full potential within us and quit thinking small but instead open those books written about us in Heaven and let each line written come to pass. It requires us to remove the limitations we place on HIM and walk in Love, faith, and trust. The children of Israel saw and experienced the miracles yet they continued their rebellion. Let us not be counted among them.
42 They forgot HIS Great Love, how HE took them by HIS Hand,
and with redemption’s kiss HE delivered them from their enemies.
43They disregarded all the epic signs and marvels they saw
when they escaped from Egypt’s bondage.
They forgot the judgment of the plagues that set them free.
Let us not forget His Great Love but instead press in, knowing that HE is not the limiting factor, we have been!