Limits on the Unlimited

Job 11: ¹³ “To God belong wisdom and power;
    counsel and understanding are his.
¹⁴ What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
    those he imprisons cannot be released.
¹⁵ If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.
¹⁶ To him belong strength and insight;
    both deceived and deceiver are his.

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Job was in a “woe is me” state and rightfully so.  I have gone through this many times in my life, but looking back I wasn’t really going through much.

• When I think the world is falling down around me, it truly is.
• When I think everyone is against me, they really are.
• When I think I can’t do something, I really can’t do it.

Limits are what holds me back. When I see something huge as a barrier in my mind, then suddenly I put limits on GOD. I say what HE can and can’t do then I rationalize my sinful state into the equation. I say “Maybe I’m too sinful to reach my goal” which is a statement saying GOD’s grace isn’t sufficient enough.

• GOD wants me to believe HE has limitless power.
• GOD wants me to believe HE has limitless resources.
• GOD wants me to believe HE has limitless knowledge.

When I get into a down state like Job, I have to think differently. I have to look at what GOD can do versus what my deceitful eyes can see. GOD wants me to believe HE has no limitations and HE can do the impossible.

• Are you feeling down?
• Do you think you are on your last leg?
• Can you stop thinking GOD is so small that HE won’t help you?
• Will you start believing in HIM and let HIM do HIS thing?

JESUS has empathy for me.

Hebrews 2: ¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

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My stomach growled so I looked in the refrigerator and there wasn’t anything there. I guess I hoped something magically appeared in there because I looked in my wallet and nothing was in there either.

I looked in the cabinet and found a can of corn. I was so delighted.  “I have something to eat!” I thought to myself. Little did I know this event was going to happen several times more in my life. Later I learned there are many people who starve daily. I could only empathize a little.

• Empathy means truly understanding another person’s feelings.
• Empathy means I went through the same thing you did.
• Empathy means I’m with you during “this” trial.

JESUS is full of empathy for every human. HE felt laughter and sadness. HE knew about loneliness, love, fear, joy, doubt, humor, worry, elation, pride, lust, misery, pain and the list goes on and on. HE knows about these things because HE became a human.

This was Satan’s last stand. If he could tempt JESUS into the smallest of sins then JESUS would not be worthy of judging the world and all would be lost. BUT GOD knew what HE was doing. JESUS came through every temptation with flying colors!

GOD has some limitations that I can think of.

• HE can never cease to exist.
• HE can never “have” existed. (Sorry for the poor wording)
• HE can never create another being greater than HIMSELF.

BUT GOD could become a human to show HIS undying relentless love for me. HE could have made me, put some rules into place and watched me fail or HE could do what HE did.

• GOD made me for HIS purpose, amusement and gratification.
• HE knew I would sin yet HE made me anyway.
• GOD wants to love me forever and ever so HE sentenced HIMSELF to death.
• HE became a human, felt “every” temptation and lived a perfect life without sin.
• GOD allowed HIMSELF to be murdered for my sins.

Now that HE is alive, HE empathizes with me daily.

• Do you have empathy with the poor, lonely, or destitute?
• Do you have empathy for another situation you have gone through?
• Can you show compassion for others today?
• Can you thank GOD for HIS empathy?