Purpose and Limitations

The next section of the book of Matthew introduces John, John the Baptist as he is known. His birth was also miraculous, he was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, ‘they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were well advanced in years’ (Luke1:7). Yet The Lord sent an angel to Zechariah to tell him the news, and it was promised that this child, ‘will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb’ (Luke 1:15). Another incredible promise to an unlikely, faithful, God-fearing couple. God told them their child was to prepare people for the coming Messiah. John was only 6 months older than Jesus, yet his ministry started much earlier. Before Jesus’ ministry became public, John spent years teaching and preaching. He had grown a reputation as an unusual man of God and was anointed to speak about the kingdom of God coming to those who would listen;

Matthew 3:1–6 (ESV): 

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 

  “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 

  ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; 

make his paths straight.’ ” 

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 

John was preaching to people and became so well known that people had given him a nickname ‘the Baptist’. He was so intriguing that people even went out to the wilderness to hear him, a barren place with nothing to entice anyone. He was a popular speaker who also fulfilled prophecy through his life. Some people may have begun to believe that he was the promised one, the Messiah, yet John knew his mission and was clear with people that the Messiah was to come. He never claimed to be something he wasn’t. He was certain of his role to be the one to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’ and he fulfilled it no matter the cost. 

John was anointed by God to call people to Him, and they followed. He told people to repent, they did. Yet there was not much about him to attract people. He was in the wilderness for a start, he wore rough, animal clothing, and you wouldn’t want to have dinner with him as he was known to eat ‘locusts and wild honey’. It was his character and his anointing to preach God’s word that attracted people. John was an unusually gifted man. Like many prophets in the Old Testament, he lived a life most did not understand, and he spoke truth. John knew his role to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’. He did not overstep or diminsh his God-given mission. He helped people to straighten out their lives in preparation to meet the promised Messiah who was already walking the Earth. John was anointed by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He instructed thousands of people to turn from their wickedness and live God-honouring lives, and they did. People sought him, heard him, liked him, followed him and spoke about him. Yet John knew though that he was only preparing the way, and he was confident and capable in this. He knew Jesus before most other people did, and he lived his life pointing others to him, getting them ready to meet him, as he knew when they did, they were meeting God himself! 

John didn’t seem to mind that this would mean his followers would one day beome Jesus followers. He didn’t even seem to mind that he had to eat bugs and whatever else he could lay his hands on. Or wear what i imagine must have been itchy clothing to cover his body, and spend a lot of time in the wilderness. John knew what he was called to do and what he was not called to be, and he got on with it. 

Are you the same; Are you doing what you know you are meant to do, and are you content with that and know your limitations?

You cannot be everything to everyone, so learn to be content with the God-given role that you do have. You have a purpose and limitations like John. God has designed you, He orchestrated your birth and life like he did Jesus and John. He has a plan and purpose for your life, are you seeking God to find out what it is? Are you trying to do too much and take on things that you are not built to deal with? It is ok to not do some things, because other people have been created and developed to do them. Do not worry if things seem unfinished or not ready, there is another coming who can finish the work, just do what God has given you to do and trust God with the rest, John did. He knew his role, the power of it and the limits of it. He knew God wanted him to prepare the way for someone else to come. John trusted God and got on with his job for years before Jesus became known, and look at the impact he had - people from ‘Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him’! He had no small ministry, but it was nothing when compared to the eternal ministry of Jesus! Yet John knew his purpose, and his limitations, he got on with it and trusted God, do you?

God bears you up

 Psalm 68:19–27 (ESV):  

19  Blessed be the Lord, 

who daily bears us up; 

God is our salvation. Selah 

20  Our God is a God of salvation, 

and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. 

21  But God will strike the heads of his enemies, 

the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways. 

22  The Lord said, 

“I will bring them back from Bashan, 

I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, 

23  that you may strike your feet in their blood, 

that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 

24  Your procession is seen, O God, 

the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary— 

25  the singers in front, the musicians last, 

between them virgins playing tambourines: 

26  “Bless God in the great congregation, 

the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!” 

27  There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, 

the princes of Judah in their throng, 

the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 

I like how this section begins, by reminding us that God is our salvation, no-one else. There is no other way - only God can save you. No resolution, diet, workout, plan, or change of mindset will actually save you. They may help you, give you intermittent or even sustained relief, but they cannot save you. Only God is salvation. If you want your life to change and you want to be saved from trouble, you need God and you can freely approach Him to ask Him to save you from your circumstances and from sin - He can and He will. Other things may give you relief, comfort, a bit of help for a while, but ultimate salvation comes from God, are you relying on Him for it?

Verse 19 also tells us that God, ‘daily bears us up’. He not only does the great work of saving you from disaster, despair and sin, but He bears you up, every day. This means that God supports, helps and encourages you, providing the bravery, resolve and inspiration needed each and every day. God does that for you, everyday He bears you up! I think we often overlook the incredible privilege of being beared up and the strength that it takes to do that. We can glory in the great miracle of salvation, signs and wonders, but do you express gratitude for the everyday miracle of being; held, supported, encouraged, emboldened and inspired? God does these things for you everyday. Take a moment to consider the last few days - how have you managed to get through them? What everyday occurrences and strength have you received from God Most High to help you? Where has God guided you, strengthened you, inspired you and given you courage or support? God has been bearing you up. Can you imagine what life would be like without Him doing so? 

God has lived through every day that has already been, and He is invested in your life today, so who better to rely upon each day?! This small section of psalm 68 tells us that God, ‘bears us up’, has delivered us from eternal death (v20), returns things to their rightful place (v22), strikes enemies and puts in front those who were once the least (v27). What an incredible God! One who does what seems to be impossible, who changes the order of things, who honours those who are overlooked and changes things around. This is the God who brings you salvation and bears you up! What an incredible privilege to do life with Him.

If you are waiting for transformation, situations to change, or righteousness to be seen, keep waiting. God ensures that His will and works prevail and He will bring you salvation and keep you going through the waiting too. So, keep blessing and honouring Him with your words and your works (v26). Worship Him as God Most High, as The King, for He brings about His purposes and whilst you wait for those to be seen, He will bear you up.

Zechariah 4:10 says, ‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin’. If you have been feeling disheartened, or been praying and waiting a long time for change, or life seems a bit dreary or difficult, be grateful and joyful for the ‘small beginnings’, the little, everyday impact that God has in your life. Thank Him for His salvation and bearing you up. God is doing small and big things, make sure you look out for them and develop gratitude for the small as well as the great. Whether it is having the energy to do something, inspiration in a project, time to complete something, a minute change in circumstances, or the strength to stand up for an issue or a person, God is helping you in each of these things. I know that sometimes I have felt exhausted and not known how to get through the day, so I have prayed that God give me the energy, strength and stamina that I have needed to get through. Do you know what? Every time God delivered! It may seem a small thing to you, but I am grateful that God has answered these prayers, and at the end of the day I thank Him for it, because I know that He has borne me up by supporting and strengthening me to do what was needed in my everyday life. He does the same for each of us.

Which ‘small beginnings’ are you grateful to God for today? Look out for how God bears you up today.

Small Beginnings

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I am sure, like me, you’ve had times in your life when things look like they are going to get difficult . Times when you look at the future and you become concerned. You look ahead with confusion and distress and don’t know where to start to make improve things. The way ahead looks hard, there are obstacles to navigate, and plenty to pray about as you are coming into a season of being stretched.
It doesn’t really matter what the circumstances are, it could be; a work situation, a family issue, financial difficulties, illness or a whole multitude of other things. The fact remains though that you are contemplating the impact of whatever it is on your life, and you’re not sure what you can do to navigate this season well, you don’t know how to get the answers or solutions you need or maybe even the resources.

What do you do then?

When your life looks uncertain and you are worried, what do you do? These times certainly test our faith!

As a family, we have had a lot of change recently, there have been a lot of things that have happened. Some we have been in control of, others we haven’t, some have been expected, some events came out of the blue. A lot has occurred for our circumstances to change even in the last month.
A few of these circumstances caught my attention because of the long-term implications and the insurmountable solutions required. Looking at the future concerned me, and made me feel sad. I could not see how things could improve - So, what can I do?

The only thing I could - pray

When I say I pray, I admit that I haven’t spent hours in prayer, but I have let God know my worries, my thoughts and feelings, my hopes and ideas. I have spent time telling God what I could see was going on and I have asked Him to intervene. You see, God cares about the big and small worries of my life, and He cares about yours too. He likes us to admit how we are doing and for us to let him know how we are responding to these things. Some of you reading this may not have batted an eyelid to the things that have caused me concern, but that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter how others perceive our situations because they are not the ones having to deal with it and having to work out their faith in it. We each have our own situations and concerns to manage and walk through in life, and we are responsible for how we handle and respond to the circumstances in our own lives.

So, I prayed. I told God how I was doing, how I had seen others respond, I asked Him how I should react, is there something I need to do God? I have also let God know I am really upset, disappointed, worried, scared, annoyed even. I have prayed for others involved, I pray for wisdom, for His love to be demonstrated. I pray for better to come. I pray and trust that God can and will transform what doesn’t seem good or helpful into something great and I continue to pray.

Do you know, as I have prayed about these situations, I have noticed God working. God has, in small ways, showed me that He is listening. The circumstances are no different, things have not been magically restored or repaired, but I have seen things from a new angle, and I have seen God provide in small ways. Would I have noticed such Godly intervention if I hadn’t been praying I wonder?

The circumstances have not been radically transformed, but I have seen small things that have and will make a huge difference. Some of these blessings may be temporary, but they show the presence, power and protection of God. It reminds me of the following verse;

Zecahriah 4:10; ‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin’.

I have seen, ’small beginnings’ of hope entering these situations. It gives me such gratitude that God would take the time to intervene, to show that he is aware of what is going on, that He is present and active even when things seem distressing and difficult. I love how this verse says that God, ‘rejoices to see the work begin’. God likes to bring about new things in our lives. Sometimes that means we will encounter difficult times, but God will show His presence - are you praying and preparing to hear from Him?

When you pray about something do you look out for the ‘small beginnings’? The little incidences that occur that aren’t the full answer, but show that God is on it? How awesome is it that we have a God who cares enough about us to remind us He is there and in charge?! I am grateful that I prayed, if I hadn’t I may of missed the small beginnings of the life changes that are going to follow. I have not seen the full picture yet, I do not know the far-reaching consequences of what is occurring, but God has renewed my confidence and invigorated my faith by stepping in to show He is in these problems.

So, today, if something is bothering you, don’t dismiss praying for it. Nothing is too big or small for God to intervene. It may be too big or small for you, but not for God. Once you’ve prayed, keep praying and be ready for the ‘small beginnings’ that will come. God rejoices in them, you should too. Be assured that God is at work. God will show His presence - are you looking for it?