Psalm 78:41 “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel”

Are you limiting God?

Psalm 78 gives a summary of Israel’s history from the calling out from Egypt to the setting up of David’s Kingdom.

Throughout the passage the goodness of God is magnified as well as the forgetfulness of His people. One of the results of forgetting God’s goodness is that within our hearts we “limit God”.

“Limiting God” in this verse speaks of limiting our view of God, coming to the conclusion that God is not up the challenge. How does this happen?  When we ignore the goodness of God.  

Have you gotten so consumed with the demands of this week or the challenges of life that you have forgotten the goodness of God. Have you stopped dwelling on all the ways in which His

 goodness has played out in your life? 

I have two challenges for you today:

#1 - Take time today to dwell upon the goodness of God revealed throughout His word and throughout your life.

#2 – Share with at least three different people (one on one) how God has been good to you.

Remember the saying: “God is good all the time – All the time God is good!”

Reconciliation continued from last week's pastor's e-note:

Luke 15:19-21 (the prodigal son to his father) “And am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son.”

Last week: Accept and act upon your guilt. 

Today: Having accepted your guilt now what?

1.      Do not assume upon the grace of forgiveness  (19)

The son realized that he was worthy of nothing. At the end of the day reconciliation demands that the sinner relinquish any claim upon his own interest.

2.      Allow the person you sinned against to do what they choose to do (20)

The father chose to respond in demonstrative love. This love originated and energized from the inside of the father not the behavior of the son.

3.      Acknowledge with great specificity the sin you are dealing with  (21)

The son did not deal in generalities but in light of what he had done against his father. Do not hide your guilt behind general terms but name it and own up to it. Before God, and when needed before man, let us ask for forgiveness.

If anyone comes to you to ask for forgiveness do not interrupt their asking for forgiveness. They need to ask for forgiveness more for themselves than for you.

These steps cannot be side-stepped. They must be taken by each of us who have sinned and those who have sinned against us.