Pursuing God – Unlimited by Time

 

I believe that God is not limited by time. Scripture teaches us that God exists outside of time and that while He is present with us, He simultaneously exists in our future and our past. Of course, our human reasoning has difficulty understanding what that means and how it is possible. We often desire to understand and become frustrated when we are unable to grasp a concept intellectually. This can frustrate and even limit our pursuit of relationship with God. God is spirit and our connection with Him is by faith. Faith is, by definition, unseen. So there is a limit to how much we can rely on understanding as we relate to God. He will always require us to have faith. Hebrews 11:6 states this truth in this way: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

 

When we consider the timelessness of God, we must surrender our desire to understand this on an intellectual level. Isaiah 55:8-9 explains that God is not like us: ““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”  And yet God promises to be available and attentive to us. There are many places in the scripture that indicate just how close we can be to God. One of my favorites is God’s words to His people through the prophet Jeremiah; “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord” Jeremiah 29:12-14

When we seek God and find Him, we do so by faith. Our relationship with God is based on faith and our experience of Him; it is not based on knowledge. Jesus demonstrated this perfectly in how He related to His disciples and the religious leaders. The religious leaders prided themselves in their knowledge of the law and their flawless obedience to it, yet Jesus called them to a new and higher standard. He called them to Himself and to the Father. Likewise, Jesus called His disciples to follow and learn from Him. He did ministry with them and equipped them to do miracles themselves, even when they did not yet fully grasp who He was and what His purpose was on the earth.

The apostle Paul teaches in Philippians 4: 6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Peace can be found and experienced as we pursue God during time of fear and worry. In these words, we read, not a promise for understanding or knowledge, but rather a promise for peace that exceeds the benefit of understanding.

 

As we consider God being unlimited by time, it is something we can seek to experience even though we cannot truly understand it. Here are a few of the places in scripture that indicate God’s timelessness:

·       “Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.” Psalm 93:2

·       “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 90:1-2

·       “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5

We cannot grasp this concept with our limited understanding. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t experience it! While our mind and reasoning are limited due to being human, our spirits are not limited at all. Scripture teaches us that we share the same spirit as Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells within us! Our connection to God is always through our spirit and by faith.

·       Paul assures the Christians in Corinth that they share the Holy Spirit with Christ Himself.  “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” 1Corinthians 6:17

·       However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  Romans 8:9-11

^·            In these words of Paul we see that we are present with Jesus “… raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”   Ephesians 2:5-7  

This is difficult for the human mind to comprehend. We feel very present in this time and space! That we are present with Jesus in the presence of God and the angels is hard to fathom. Equally difficult to understand is that through our faith we can impact the past and the future. God’s spirit connecting us to Him accomplishes MUCH MORE than our eternal salvation. We are radically alive NOW! We are not mere humans where we are limited by the confines of earth and our natural ability.

 

God is challenging me to steward this new revelation of timelessness in these practical ways. I am focusing on my beliefs about God’s tender and powerful care in all realms of time.

 

God is restorer and redeemer.  I keep His promises to redeem and restore what has been hurt, lost, damaged, stolen or forgotten in my past. I am trusting Him to show me how to activate my faith in this process. I am asking Him questions like: “How is what you are doing in my life now going to increasingly bring healing and strength from the hardships in my past?” I am listening for how I can pray for this. I am purposely looking and expecting to see ways that my past is being restored and adding blessing to my present life.

 

God is equipping, healing and preparing me. I believe that God’s words, love and activity in my life are never about only one purpose. I believe He is always acting in a multi-dimensional way – it is part of His nature to do so!  What He is revealing to me now is not just applicable to my present circumstances; it also has purpose in my past as well as what He has planned for me in my future. I am trying to keep this in mind as well. I want to steward a sense of wonder that increases faith and hope. “How might God be equipping me for what I cannot yet see or know?”  “I wonder when I look back at this present time, what I will realize that God has done to complete things He began years ago?”

 

God is always full of promise and advancement. I believe that there is NO limits to what we can experience in God. He always has more for us. I believe that God is always expanding and increasing. He never stays stagnant or still. I believe that He is always inviting me to be with Him. If He is always expanding and inviting me to be with Him, then I am limitless as well. There is no end to the extent to which we can experience His love, wisdom, peace, power, goodness, grace, etc. I believe that all the resources of heaven are available to me and that God is willing and ready to bless me with them. Jesus instructs and models that we are free to ask Him for what we need and want. He wants to be our trusted source. So, I am asking, learning and exploring. I am listening!  This is critical, because when we ask questions, we are often starting with our own understanding. When we listen, we are open to hearing something beyond our understanding. That is what I want more of. “What new thing are you going to show me, God?” Paul teaches that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are always interceding for the believers. I am asking regularly: “Jesus, show me how you are praying for me now?”  “How can I echo the prayers of the Holy Spirit?”

 

There is much more to learn and experience as I consider that God invites me into the adventure of being unlimited by time and space! I am just at the beginning, but I am seeing my faith and hope increase. It is impacting my life and my prayer life for those I love as well.