The Limits Have Been Set

Today’s Bible readings are Ruth 2:1-4:22, John 4:43-54, Psalm 105:16-36, & Proverbs 14:26-27

Psalm 105:16-22

¹⁶ He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food: ¹⁷ and he sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. ¹⁸ They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, ¹⁹ till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.
²⁰ The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. ²¹ He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, ²² to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

Did you know that God has a plan & a purpose for your life? It is true. He desires to do great things through you for His glory. The awesome thing about God is He can do it!

There are a lot of things that try to keep you from achieving your God giving potential in this life. I recently talked to a friend who is going through some major tests in his life. He has made a commitment to follow Jesus & it just seems like everywhere he turns things come crashing in all around him. It is one thing after another for him.

It reminds me of this story of Joseph’s life. The enemy tried so hard to keep Joseph from being able to fulfill the dream that God gave him. Yet, in the end, the Word of the Lord ALWAYS stands firm.

You may be at a place right now where the enemy has you in a position like he had Joseph in. He may be trying to shackle your feet & put irons on your neck. The enemy may be doing everything in his power to try to get you to walk away from God. Here is what you need to do—SHOUT AS LOUD AS YOU CAN “IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO LET ME GO IN JESUS NAME!”

I have always found strength in knowing that God sets the boundaries to where the oceans starts & ends. He is the One who tells the tide where to stop.

Job 38:8-11

⁸ “Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb, ⁹ and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness? ¹⁰ For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. ¹¹ I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!’

God is not the author of the storms in life, BUT HE IS THE ONE WHO TELLS THEM NO MORE! He has set a limit on what can be done. It may feel like:

1.      The waves are going to crush you.

2.      The shackles are going to cripple you.

3.      The irons are going to defeat you.

4.      The storm is going to swallow you.

5.      The test is going to break you.

 

BUT…

1 Corinthians 10:13

¹³ The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

This is a promise from God to us. It is just not true when the thought comes that this is going to destroy us. The Bible makes it clear that God, Our Father, would NEVER let that happen!!! He will ALWAYS make a way of escape so that we can STAND & ENDURE the weight of the trial. How does this happen???

Hebrews 4:14-16

¹⁴ So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. ¹⁵ This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

God has made a way for us to come to His throne of GRACE to obtain the strength, patience, & ability that we need in EVERY situation & test in life. His throne of grace has every gifts needed to endure in this life. It is a place of supernatural resources. It is a place of endless possibility.

We have access to that throne through the blood of Jesus. His blood covers our sin & makes us holy so we too can enter into the Holy of Holies to receive what is needed. All we need to do is access it by faith.

Stop letting the enemy distract you with all his crazy tactics. Stop letting the thoughts of defeat control your mind. Take authority over those thoughts & go to the throne of grace to get what you need to endure his attacks & come out on top!

Pastor Richard Schlotter