Related Articles
Table of Contents
Topic: DON’T LIMIT GOD THROUGH DOUBT, UNBELIEF, AND IGNORANCE
As remarkable as this story is, and as often as we wonder how the Israelites could act this way, the truth is that we tend
to do the same. In bringing us to faith in Christ, God has given us great miracles and mighty deliverances, but as we travel our
way through our own wildernesses, we sometimes get a little weary and forget what God has done.
It is easy to begin to limit God and say, “Well, God helped me last year, but I wonder if He’s getting tired of helping me.” We can limit God through our unbelief and doubts.
When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Matthew 14:28).
And the Bible says that Peter did indeed step out of the boat and walk on the water. We tend to focus on Peter sinking in the water, but the Bible emphasizes that he truly did walk onthe water.
It was not until Peter looked about himat the boisterous wind and the waves that he began to sink.
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you
doubt?’ ” (Matthew 14:31). See, doubt sinks you.
Faith holds you up. When you look around at your circumstances and see all the things that are coming against you, and everything that could happen to you, and everything that the enemy tells you is going to happen to you, you begin to sink.
But when you keep your eyes on Jesus, you keep walking on the water. We limit God by doubting Him. We limit God by our unbelief. And we can limit God by our ignorance.
Faith begins where knowledge is. If we do not know that God is a miracle-working God, that limits God. If we do not know that God heals the sick, that limits God. If we do not know that God can provide for our every need, that limits God.
We must have knowledge of the Word of God According to Psalm78, the people of Israel were so obstinate in their unbelief that they made God angry.
God had delivered themthrough the Red Sea and by the power of miracles brought themout of Egypt. With their own eyes they
had witnessed phenomenal deliverances fromGod.
Yet when they got into the desert, they began to complain. They said, “Can God take care of us in this wilderness? What about our children?
How are we going to get clothes for them? What about our own bodies? What are we going to eat?” They questioned whether God could provide themwith “a table in
the wilderness.”
One provocation came after another, and finally God became “furious” with them.
They said, “What are we going to
do? Can God, this God who brought us out of Egypt, can He furnish food and clothes out here in the middle of the desert?”
The Bible states they limited the Holy One of Israel.
If we do not know that God can provide for our every need, that limits God.
In response, God said, “I’llshow you what I can do.
Moses, strike the rock, and it’ll give forth water,” and it did.
And then He said, “I’llshow you how you’ll eat,” and He rained manna down for forty years. When they cried out for meat, He brought the south and east winds together and rained down so many birds upon themthat they ate until it came out
of their nostrils.
God said, “Don’t ever say, ‘Can God?’ ” Rather, you should shout, “God can!”
I don’t know what you face today. I do not know what needs you have; but don’t limit God by ignorance, doubt, and unbelief. We have a great God. He made the world.
He flung the stars fromHis fingertips. He keeps everything in order by the word of His mighty power. He is the great I AM, and He’s a God of love and mercy who wants to provide for all of your
needs. So don’t limit God.
