Can You Limit God?

by Barbara Latta

God is the ultimate, only supreme being of the universe. Nothing and no one can supersede His power.

So how can He be limited?

Fear of the unknown can limit us

God gave us choices and those choices have consequences. He has a plan for our lives, but unless we go along with the plan we don’t succeed. We limit what He can do in our lives when we fail to obey His word.  His Word has conditions we must meet for the power to be released (Deut 30:19). “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

We can learn the results of limiting God's power in our lives from these biblical examples who exhibited familiarity with their surroundings and were unwilling to change, fear of the unknown, and by focusing on the physical aspect instead of the spiritual.

• Familiarity: “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). In his own town, Jesus was limited because of familiarity. People thought of him as the carpenter’s son, not the Son of God with power.

  

  Release the familiar and be willing to change

• Fear: God assured the people He was giving them the land of their enemies (Numbers 3:8), yet when the spies saw the giants in the land, they doubted and said, “…we are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we” (Number 13:31). Because of their doubt they were delayed by 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

• Focusing on the physical, not spiritual: “Yes, again and again they tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel” (Psalm 78:41).

Focus on the Holy Spirit and don't be limited

God’s wants us to enjoy the abundant life Jesus came to give (John 10:10). Our ability to have His unlimited power at work depends on saying, “I believe.”

 Have you ever limited God in your life? Share your thoughts.