Numbers 11:23 “Is there a limit to my power?” the Lord answered.
You have invested your most valuable assets into the spiritual riches of God’s Kingdom. Your contributions of trust and loyalty are given freely to God and His returns never disappoint.
Unflinching faith comes to you like a divine download and you are often amazed by a sudden level of confidence which seems to appear out of nowhere.
You actively seek help from God because you know His power has no limit. As a reward for your humility and authenticity, the Holy Spirit infuses you with wisdom and power that far exceeds your natural human abilities.
You are able to accomplish things others have deemed unattainable and you give all the credit to Jesus who turned your impossibilities into possibilities.
You find that this realm of ‘ridiculous faith’ has proven to be the most exciting and fulfilling method of maneuvering through this human experience.
As a world of miracles opens before you, you scale to heights you never dreamed possible. And as your confidence in God grows stronger, you see your life filled with the reality of His limitless power.
Psalm 11:4 The Lord is in His holy house. The Lord’s throne is in heaven.
You are the dwelling place of God on this earth. You serve as His hands, eyes, ears, and heart while you journey through time.
Since God is a Spirit, His impact on the physical realm can only be supported by those who coordinate their efforts with His.
Knowing that the Creator of the Universe has entrusted you with His Spirit and made His home within you gives you purpose and direction.
You know that none of the daily tasks of life are insignificant.
You recognize that each conversation you have with another human being is a sacred connection.
You know that each impulse of compassion, mercy, kindness, or strength is a signal for action from the Spirit of God which leads you to your next assignment.
As the temple of God, you keep your mind and body healthy and strong.
You offer your physical presence to God as a living space where He can function through you to bring light and life to the people you meet on the paths you walk.
And now look at you; you look like the stars in the night skies. And your God did it!Deuteronomy 10:22
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You see the goodness of God as you gaze into the night sky. When surrounded by the wonders of the universe, you stand in awe of the Maker’s design.
You love to examine the night sky. You are are captivated by the phases of the moon and the marching constellations as they glide across the atmosphere.
It is in this upward glance that you gain perspective. When you look at the sky, the purpose for your earthbound existence become clear.
It excites you to realize that you have been offered a divine destiny by the Creator of the Universe.
As you look at the vast expanse, you are in awe that God calls each star by name. This offers you great comfort, for it reveals how intimately and personally the Creator values what He has made.
It is in this realization that you find security. Your Maker designed you for a specific purpose, and like the stars, you light up when He calls your name.
It will not really be you speaking. The Spirit of God will be speaking through you.
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You are called to be the voice of Christ to some of God’s lost children who don’t seem to be able to hear Him for themselves. When you speak of God’s love and forgiveness, it is the Spirit of God speaking through you, infusing the atmosphere with hope and life.
There are specific souls you will be drawn to. This is a nudge from the Holy Spirit.
Due to your own life experiences and unique character qualities, the connections you make with those who are struggling will prove to alter their lives as well as your own. You will be the one to help them find their way to the Father, and thus, find their way home.
As a representative of redemption, you find that the chosenones are typically the most broken ones.
Your ability to connect with troubled people in a non-judgmental approach makes you the ideal candidate to bring God’s message to those who cannot hear His voice for themselves.
When caught up in a moment of testing, we must resist letting our feelings and circumstances serve as a litmus test of our faith. It is not healthy, nor is it accurate.
Tests are for the express purpose of developing patience. Whether the tests come from internal or external forces, they have a purpose. Some of the tests we face are due to our own weaknesses and might easily become our demise, but even then, God always has a better plan. Any test that activates patience is beneficial. Guilt and blame serve no purpose.
Patience tells us that tests are only temporary. Patience tells us that God is doing a good work in us, and He will complete it. Patience tells us not to judge our walk by one random stumble. Patience keeps us steady as we wait for the storm to pass.
It is patience that we lack when we throw up our hands and give up. It is patience that we lack when we question our progress. It is patience that will get us to the finish line. It is patience that will help us be gentle with ourselves.
You formed me inside my mother. You put skin and flesh on me like clothing. You knit me together with bones and muscles.
Job 10:10-11
In a world of competition and comparisons, you sometimes wonder if your value is measured by what you do, rather than by who you are.
This is a concern for many human beings. Some struggle to do more, or to be better in order to feel significant. Others think that money, talent, or fame will make them feel important. Sadly, these endeavors prove to be worthless.
Knowing that you are handmade by the Creator of the universe assures you of your value. Since you are so special to God, He designed you in a unique and wonderful way. Before your mother even knew you existed, God was already weaving together the strands of your DNA.
Imagine His excitement as He selected your eye color, your voice tone, and your sense of humor! He gave you a passion for family, friendship, and community. He infused you with a high level of curiosity and creativity.
He placed within you specific gifts and talents which you are just beginning to discover.Your value is far beyond what you do or say. You are much more important than your achievements or your awards.You are a person with a destiny; designed by the God of the galaxies.
You play an important role in the future of humanity. Each day you spend on this planet becomes a significant part of history.
God knows the value of your unique human spirit. He knows that your heart is filled with compassion, determination, and enthusiasm. He has given you the mind, body, and temperaments which will are ideal for your journey.
Long before anyone knew you, God was sketching out a plan; designing you perfectly for the destiny which will be yours. He chose you as His own, and He has promised to be your God forever.
In 1 Samuel 22, we read about David, the would-be king who is making decisions clouded by dysfunction. The story begins with rejection, danger, and drama. David is at risk. He has experienced trauma. He is out of his element, all alone, and without clear direction. His life has come down to a series of geographical moves and his only reason is simple, “I am here because it was not safe there.”
These words ring true for us as well. We have experienced trauma. In response, we run, we tell lies, we act crazy, and in the end, we finally find a cave where we can hide.
We enter our caves carrying something that makes us feel fierce. We carry memories of times when we weren’t so weak. Despite our insecurities and weakness, we also know there is resilience, tenacity, and charisma woven into our DNA by the Creator of the Universe.
In David’s story, he had the sword of Goliath strapped to his side, reminding him of his greatest victory. But, later, after experiencing his own trauma, it seemed his glory days were over. He is hiding in a cave which he refers to as his stronghold. Battling anxiety, depression, and loss, the cave becomes a makeshift fort for David and his absent army. Bringing an abrupt end to his promising career, his entire future has been destroyed by one man. The grief was too much to bear.
The man who once killed a giant with a rock, got hit between the eyes with trauma and it took him to a dark place. Everything changed. Nothing will ever be the same. He is alone. He is unprepared. He is in self-defense mode, and his behavior becomes irrational and unpredictable.
We too have experienced moments of trauma, laying the groundwork for our current dysfunctions. Whether we can remember them or not, each of us has heard, seen, or experienced things that made us feel unsafe, forcing us into unhealthy coping patterns. For some, the trauma was a single event, such as an accident, an illness, or a loss. For others, the trauma came gradually in waves, due to chronic pain, devastating disappointments, years of neglect, indifference, or abuse from a parent or spouse, or the emotional baggage of living in a deeply dysfunctional environment.
If we were to replicate an artistic masterpiece, for example, Michelangelo’s sculpture David where would we begin? A block of granite would be a good start, but after that, what next? A chisel in one hand and a hammer in the other, then tap, tap, tap away. It seems there should be no concern over the shape of the nose until the face has begun to take form. An artist would not frustrate himself over an earlobe’s curve if the nape of the neck has yet to be established.
It is one thing for a sculptor to envision his finished project. It is quite another thing, to plan for every tap, every move, and every chip. The first is art. The latter is insanity.
And so, we were given only one instruction at a time. God didn’t show us how to take the next 53 steps of our journey. He simply showed us one first, and then the next, and the next, and the next. He knew that we had a tendency to run out ahead of Him and wander off. Therefore, He gently kept us at His side, giving us only one instruction at a time. He knew that one simple stumble could place us into the path of the enemy, so His hand held us close. To counteract the enemy’s offensive moves, His plan had to remain flexible and changeable. Therefore, if He gave us the entire game plan, we might have run ahead and walked into a trap or missed His unexpected strategic maneuvers.
Therefore, we encouraged ourselves and each other with the simple mantra: Do the next right thing. That’s it, that’s all. God never asks us to make a five-year plan, complete with bar graphs and pie charts. He merely asks us to place one foot in front of the other, holding tight to His hand.
One step at a time, taking care not to run ahead, we found that God’s direction for us wasn’t always religious in nature, nor did every event seem extraordinarily significant. But as our journey continued, we realized that each right thing led us to the next right thing. And in this realm of just one thing, the next right thing, we found balance in our walk and harmony with ourselves.
Our relationship with Jesus has grown through some amazing times. It is an exciting experience of falling in love with the King of Kings who chose us as His Bride. He says He delights in us. We say the feeling is mutual!
Now, we no longer feel apprehensive about our desires. They have been placed there by God and will be fulfilled through our partnership with Jesus. As a member of His royal family, our needs will be met so we can be busy with Kingdom business.
Many Citizens of the Kingdom are hurting, hungry, and sick. Some are simply battle-weary and overdue for a little rest. Our Kingdom assignments are to reach out to them through the means of written words, spoken words, authentic friendship, and compassionate care.
In our New Normal, we find a sense of purpose and direction in knowing that we are on a mission for our King. He has planned coincidental meetings with people who have been called to fulfill their own assignments in partnership with ours.
Our New Normal is everlasting recovery, a new perspective of life’s adventure, and an ability to take life in stride, knowing that the One who created the universe and everything within it is on our side. He is with us and for us. He is our Advocate, our Father, and our Spirit. This New Normal gives us fantastic strength to endure whatever matters come before us. We walk in partnership with our Creator to the divine destiny He has set before us. Our path may not always be easy or smooth, but it is softened by walking with Him.
In our New Normal, we can release our fears of making mistakes and manufacturing failures. We look straight ahead, eyes fixed on Jesus, with our feet firmly planted on level paths. What we want and what He wants for us, are synchronized perfectly.
We simply walk it out together, one step at a time.
Considering whether or not God can actually forget our sins, leaves us with two important theological questions:
If God can forget things, then how can He be all knowing?
If God can’t forget things, then how can He say that He remembers our sins no more?
Forgiveness is extremely difficult for us, so we assume that it must be even worse for God because he is all present, all powerful, and all-knowing.
In our human relationships, we like to believe that the people we have wronged will gradually forget about it over time. But with God, we know that’s not an option because He exists outside of time. There is no movement of time in the spirit realm. He is everything, everywhere, all at once.
So, we have to ask ourselves, “How can God say that He forgives us and remembers our sins no more?” The answer is simple: He chooses not to remember.
Because He is God, he can make choices that are outside the bounds of human ability. With the attribute of omnipotence (all powerful), He can make the choice not to remember.
In Isaiah 43:25, God says, “I will not remember your sins.”
In Jeremiah 31: 34, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Hebrews 8: 12 and Hebrews 10:17, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
There is nothing to indicate God absentmindedly forgets, as if He suffers from dementia or it just slips His mind. Rather, in His infinite mercy, He chooses not to remember the wrongs that He has forgiven. Therefore, we conclude that surface level theology says, “God forgets,” while leveled-up theology says, “He chooses not to remember.”
Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 