Back in the day I was struggling to find God’s will for my life. I had previous experience in waiting tables so thought I would go back to that for a while. It was a bit nerve wracking to say the least. Several of the waitresses (now called servers) that I worked with would grumble over tips, tables and even customers. Well, one day I got a little promotion and my manager showed me the stainless steel pie divider. I had moved up to desserts and I got to slice the pie – eight even pieces. He trusted me so I was allowed to use this little device to make even slices so each customer got an equitable slice rather than a big piece for farmer Freddy and a meager piece for Matilda. I loved the customers but grew weary of all the feuds over tips, tables and who got the biggest slice of pie. Beyond that front showcase was a freezer in back that contained hundreds of frozen pies that no one knew about until they got the special pie promotion. I laugh now but back then it was a big deal. Customers would never rush thru supper if they knew there was an unlimited supply of dessert out back just waiting to be ordered. If you have convinced yourself that there is only enough pie for someone else and none for you, then you live with great limitation.
Remember the story of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness? They could eat as much as they wanted but one day was to be set apart to remember the One who provided their vittles. God did more than stretch their budget; He was stretching their faith as well. My little boys get into squabbles sometimes over food portion size. When they were really small they would get something and then the second in line would ask, “Mama, can I have one too?” to which I would reply “no”. Downward would go the chin and quickly a scowl would emerge. I would then softly say, “you don’t get one, you get two, or four or eight”. Now that they are older they love that and we talk about limits and training our minds to think beyond what our fears tell us is real. Why do we imagine God’s heart or hand is so very small?
So those Israelites, they complained and I believe that God grew weary of their grumbling and gave them so much they barfed it up. Maybe it was more like saturating them? Maybe He was trying to show them the abundance He had to bless them with, but they were still stingy, miserly and small minded in spite of watching the Egyptians and their horses trying to dog paddle through the Red Sea? Whoosh! Gee Whiz – thousands of gnats, frogs and you really can’t see that God’s supply is bigger and better than Pharaoh’s? It seems that we limit God and give much room for our belief in the enemy’s resource supply. We fear all the things that might happen rather than trusting in the limitless power, protection ad presence of the One who has promised to be with us. We fear other people, curses, foreign ideas or people, maybe weather or spooky rhymes people say. The more we give credit to other gods, the more we detract from the One who made the universe. What we fear, we worship. What we pay attention to we eventually obey. You have heard many talk about end times and the evil released but I’ve read the end of the book and spiritually (and mathematically) God has more angels, more power, and more resources. Why do people then fear the end, instead of anticipate the revealing? If Heaven is endless and Hell is contained wouldn’t it make more sense to focus on the Greater instead of the lesser?
When phone companies went to unlimited data on their phones people switched loyalties and phone companies! Unlimited was unheard of! It did not take great orator skills and smooth sales talking to switch people over because the difference was well… unlimited. God is limitless. Animal control is not going to lasso or contain Him. Extraverts will not wear Him down with their prayers. There are not enough votes in the nations to impeach Him because those who are for Him are more numerous than the grains of the sand, the stars of the sky. Remember, God still is bigger than Walmart, McDonalds or Coke. God never runs out of mojo, power or energy but remains faithful, refreshing the weary and giving strength to the weak.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Sure, God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but that’s Old Testament? Well, …there is a Well that never runs dry and the Samaritan woman surely can tell us about that story (John 4). Water that’s turned into wine is how the people of Cana would describe it. Then there’s the boat that was shiny clean until the limitless One’s Son came aboard and redirected their supply chain – “Not here but over there”. What about that little kid who had just a little lunch that fed thousands? You Northern cookin mamas know how to stretch a good meal, but THAT meal –was off the charts awesome. Slice the ham thick and call the relatives over kind of meal. Then there’s that woman that had a limited edition jar of Nard but a limitless edition of love … then lavishly poured it all over Jesus. You tee-totallers can celebrate one day in Heaven when the tap is open and wine flows throughout Heaven celebrating the victory of the Risen King. There – there is no last call, because the last call was already made! There – all drinks are on the House. There the celebration will be filled with the Spirit and Joy, not substances or sorrows. Unlimited, inexhaustible, unstoppable, limitless… So very different than bound, contained, small, restricted stingy love. God is limitless, His Son is limitless, and His children are limitless (or can be).
What if we saw how God sees, felt how God feels, loved like God loves? Just for a minute, an hour, a day?
Heavenly Father, remove the blockages that stop up our service. Remove the blinders that let us only see things from this earthly, small opinion living and view. Open our hearts, our minds, and our lives and then open our finances, homes and churches. Amen.
RenaeRoche2018
*Praying for the children of Uganda and their need for unlimited provisions and food today.