Notes From the Pastor's Desk
November 9, 2025
Limiting God
Psalm 78:41 says, “They limited the Holy One of Israel.” The word “limit” in the Hebrew means to “wound, cause pain or to trouble.” We can hurt or trouble our Savior when we do not live according to His Word and His will. We should rather be filled with the Spirit of God and in co-operation with His divine plans. God help us to bring pleasure to the heart of God and not pain. Let me briefly give you three ways that we can “limit the Holy One of Israel” in our lives.
I. We Limit God Through Prayerlessness
James 4:2 says, “Ye have not because ye ask not.” A songwriter wrote, “Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.” As we consider prayerlessness think first about the abundant promises. The Bible is full of promises to the child of God. Promises are not give just to be admired, but to be believed and taken hold of by the Christian. In prayer we claim the promises of God. Then, think about the abandoned practice. We would see more of what our forefathers saw in the church, if we spent the time in prayer they did. Many people who profess to know the Lord do not pray from day to day.
II. We Limit God Through Sinfulness
We are told in Eph. 4:30 that we are not to grieve the Spirit of God. The word “grieve” means to “make sorrowful or bring sadness.” Rather than trouble the Spirit our lives should surrender to God's Spirit. First, there is the presence we have of the Spirit. All believers have Him (Rom. 8:9). Consider the problem of how we grieve the Spirit. Anytime we resist and do not listen to Him or follow His leadership, we grieve the Spirit.
III. We Limit God Through Faithlessness
The Bible speaks of Jesus not doing many works because of the unbelief of the people (Matt. 13:58). Consider the resources they could have had. It is so often that what we need will only come by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Through faith the impossible can be done (Luke 1:37). But, there was the refusal which was adamant. The people in Matt. 13:58 blatantly refused to believe the Lord. If one chooses unbelief, then he or she misses spiritual blessings that could have been possessed.