Psalm 78:41 says “They limited the Holy One of Israel”. Charles Spurgeon writes in-depth from his 1859 sermon that when God gave forth the law it was engraved on two stones. The first tablet contained the commandments concerning man and God, the second tablet dealt with man and man. But there are three of the ten – from both tablets – that limit God. How? The second is distrusting Him by maintaining the heart attitude that He does not hear, and that He cannot (or will not) save. Spurgeon writes about this distrust as we are essentially taking a position of, “Thou hast judged the omnipotence of God to be finite. Thou hast said that thy troubles are greater than his power, that thy woes are more terrible than his might.”

Our distrust of Him comes when we see Him not doing things the way we would do them. Using the example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into the furnace. Rather than have their pre-conceived idea of how God would deliver them, they said, “Nevertheless, be it known unto thee, O king, we will not worship thy gods, nor bow before the image which thou hast set up.” Then they were prepared to let God have his will, even if He used no means of deliverance. Though God did not prevent them from going into the furnace, He did keep them alive in it. So much so, that they didn’t even smell like smoke when they came out.

Rest in God. And Spurgeon says, “When thou seest him not, believe him; when everything seems to contradict thy faith, still stagger not at the promise.”