Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: Psalm 78-79
Psalm 78:41
Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
Imagine, limiting God. God the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing, all everything, can be limited? How? Unbelief.
To understand the word unbelief, examine the word belief, or believe. Look at belief like this, you are driving down a two-lane state highway at the rate of 75 mph (which is legal in our state). Another vehicle is traveling at the same rate of speed coming toward you. If you believe that the other car will stay in its lane, you will naturally do a few things. You will maintain your rate of speed, stay in your lane, and pass the other vehicle safely. If you do not believe that the other car will stay in its lane, you will probably slow down to a stop as far to the right of the road as you can; perhaps you will get out of the car and run to safety so as to not be hurt by the collision you expect. After all, you do not have faith (or believe) that the other car will stay in its lane. Your actions in this scenario are totally independent of the other driver. There is no control you have over the other regarding their actions. If they stay in their lane, yet you do not believe they will, you have wasted time, effort and probably looked silly to the other driver.
Your belief, what you believe, moved you to action. Your action did not affect their action, yet your action proved what you believe. The same is true with spiritual things. If a person believes God they will act on that belief. It is one thing to say that you believe that a hurling car will stay in its lane, it is another to act appropriately when face to face with that scenario. It is one thing to say that God will answer your prayers, it is another thing all together to pray. It is one thing to say that God’s Word is true. It is another thing to live like God’s Word is true.
Concerning the Lord God, one’s true belief system can unlock all His blessings and conditional promises or limit them. Those that the Psalmist speaks of in this chapter are recorded as doing this: Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. (vs. 36) Evidently what they said and what they did were two different things. Their mind knew what they should say, but their real belief system caused them to act in opposition of that which they said. The very next verse states this: For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. They said one thing yet lived another, for in their heart they did not believe that God could or would do that which He promised.
Many can say the right things, but if that which they say does not match up with what they do there is a problem. “The preacher does not need a raise; God will take care of Him.” Yet they, on their job, expect a raise, and will do all they can to obtain a raise. On one hand they state that God can take care of the financial needs of a person, on the other they don’t believe it for themselves. They limit God.
In a day and age when so many fall by the wayside (so to speak) know this: they didn’t fall by the wayside, they were always on the wayside, they just talked and faked being in the Way. Their unbelief is identified by their actions, and through those actions they limit God in their life.
Dr. William T. Howe
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