Knowing Your Limits

Religion 101. Sounded like an easy course, especially if you believed that you had a pretty good grasp on this religion thing. My rationalization was resoundingly inadequate but that still didn't stop me from my course of action. (Pun intended) - Mark this class as an easy "B" and homework would not be a problem. And it wasn't. The homework part anyway. What was a problem was that I really didn't know the origins of my faith and why I believed the way I did. The target on my back couldn't have been any bigger.

I'm going to spare you the messy details but this lack of a correct Biblical worldview derailed my faith journey for years. Looking back I wish I had done a few things differently to prevent years of living in the wilderness without God's presence, blessing and His protection. (Zechariah 7:13) Not to mention hurting countless people while I struggled to find my spiritual legs. I write these things in the hope that they might help someone else in their faith journey.

Hold Me Jesus (by Rich Mullins)

 One of my all-time favorite artists and songs.

God's Response To Rebellion

In Deuteronomy, Chapter 1 Moses starts off by giving a summary of Israel's 40 year journey that began at Mount Sinai. This is the beginning of the nation of Israel after God freed them from their slavery in Egypt.

Midway through the chapter Moses describes the time when the spies that Israel had sent to scope out the Promised Land returned with news of the people who currently occupied the land. Ten of the twelve spies said the challenges were too much to overcome (exact words were, "The people are stronger and taller than we are and the cities are large and fortified up to heaven.") but the remaining two said, "It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us."

Where Are You?

It is my belief that God is omnipotent. The word omnipotent comes from omni - meaning “all” and potent meaning “power.” As with the attributes of omniscience and omnipresence, it follows that, if God is infinite, and if He is sovereign, which we know He is, then He must also be omnipotent. He has all power over all things at all times and in all ways. 


And yet in Genesis 3 we hear God ask Adam and Eve where they had hidden themselves after they had succumbed to the lies of the evil one who had tempted them to break the only rule that God had given them. Did that mean that God didn't know where Adam and Eve where hiding? Of course not. What it means is that God talks to us in terms we could understand. He could have appeared in a formidable storm of nature, or accompanied by the honor guard of heaven but instead He chose to walk in the garden among His creation, the same creation that had just disobeyed Him and ushered a future history of sin and evil that their human minds could not comprehend.