Does that title cause a pause? Do you think something strange about the wording? What is left when God has done all that He can? Nothing. We know that there are no limits to God’s “can do”. So what does it mean that He has done all He could?
When a doctor says he has done “all he can do” to treat an illness or a mechanic says he has “done all he can do” to fix your automobile, we know the limits have been reached. We might even follow that statement with, “It’s in God’s hands.”
But this week I read a scripture where God said He had done all He could and I had to ponder the situation. Have I ever drove Him to His limits? Let’s read the verse.
“…when I, the LORD, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.”
Micah 6:6b
To get a better understanding, it’s important to read the full chapter. To get a full understanding read the full book of Micah. In this chapter, God is speaking. As a matter of fact the chapter begins with “Listen to what the LORD is saying:” He then calls a hearing between the Israelites and Himself. The mountains will be the witnesses.
He then asks what are their complaints. “O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!” Micah 6:3
I once was at a women’s retreat when the elderly speaker stopped her message of encouragement and edification and walked over to a woman in the crowd of about 300. She appeared hardened and angry. I hadn’t noticed her until this moment when the speaker spoke directly to her, “God wants to know what else He can do for you?” She met the woman’s scowl with equal intensity. You could have heard an eyelid blink if anyone dared move. I thought for sure the news would tell that night of the brawl at the Christian Women’s Conference.
The speaker went on to question her, “God has given you life. He has given you His son as a sacrifice for your sins. He offers you peace and joy and salvation. But none of that has been enough for you. So, God wants to know what else He can do for you?”. The silence that followed spoke to us all.
The woman didn’t budge for a bit. The speaker asked her name. I honestly don’t remember it. But this lioness of God, our speaker, spoke to her again, “Okay, (name), you are angry at God because some things in life haven’t gone your way. You have sat here tonight thinking you are going to show Him how angry you are. Nothing I have said, none of the worship songs we have sung have moved you. Even the people that have brought you here did not cause your heart to soften. So, God wants to know what else He can do for you?”
This time the awkward and intense silence was followed with tears. The woman broke before the Lord and melted before our eyes. I have seen miracles before and this ranks right up there with the greatest. A woman’s heart changed in an instant. What life and hard choices had built as a impenetrable wall came crumbling down as she realized that God had already done all that was needed in her life. He had given everything He could, His only Son, to save her. How could she act as if there was more He could offer?
Back to the scripture in Micah. God begins to remind the Israelites of the journey they had endured through the wilderness. He mentions the wicked King Balak who bribed Balaam to curse them. God turned the curses into blessings.
He reminds the Israelites how he rescued them from Egypt. He gave them Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead them and redeem them from slavery.
“And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal,….” vs. 6.
Acacia Grove (Shittim) is where the Israelites camped before crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land. It’s there that Joshua sent out two spies to check out Jericho. Gilgal is on the west side of the Jordan. It was the first stop in the land of Israel and there they renewed their covenant with God. These two places represent the wilderness and the land of blessing. God said to remember the journey.
“And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, when I, the LORD, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.”
Micah 6:5
That was His purpose. He did everything to teach them about His faithfulness. God is faithful. It does us well to remember the days and moments in our lives where God is teaching us His faithfulness. Remember the journey.
I just got home from a missions trip to Poland. These trips are fuel for my soul and I have never gone on one of these missions journeys without great changes in my life. But that’s a whole other blog post.
This recent trip left me exhausted and stressed the first night. I had not slept and the day stretched on and on as we traveled multiple time zones. We had a 8 hour layover in Holland and decided to store our luggage at the airport and tour a little. All went well until we got back to the airport. Despite having mapped all this out before leaving Texas, I could not find the lockers where all 16 of us had stored our luggage. Time was running out before our connecting flight and my team could tell I had lost the lockers. Panic set in and it seemed everyone had a better idea of where those lockers might be hiding. Loooong story short, we found them. Some of us (yes, the team split up) went through the passport control multiple times before finding our way.
The two hour flight from there to Poland was quiet and reflective for me. It was the first day and I had already failed the team. One pause to consider the route and I had lost control and confidence of the team. How could I think that I could lead a team of 16 “across the pond” to a place I’d never been myself. What in the world was I thinking?
I got to the missionaries’ house, saw everyone to their respective rooms. got orders for the next day, and collapsed in bed. There would not be any sleep for me. Exhaustion does that sometimes. So, I picked up my Bible and read this chapter. As I began to read of their journey, I couldn’t help but to think of mine.
Yes, God had been faithful through the land of fundraisers. He had passed us through the maze of passports. He guided me to the flight of least connections and best prices. He answered when we needed insurance, airport parking for a van and trailer, and wisdom to understand TSA packing. God had brought our team through flooded homes and flooded businesses, sick relatives, and dying friends, medical tests, anxieties, job loss and financial struggles all while He prepared us for the mission.
The trip was a great success. Thankfully, we never got lost again. With God’s great faithfulness, the journey brought us to the place of His blessing and back home again. The journey was wild and wonderful. And all of it was God just doing everything He could to teach us His faithfulness.
And how does God show His faithfulness? Well it’s always in our need. He is faithful when we are lost as to the next steps. Faithful when our bodies are in need of healing. He is faithful when relationships are twisted and tangled. God is faithful as the roads of life get narrow, offer too many side trails, or have obstacles too big to pass. We could never know His faithfulness if we never stood in need.
His faithfulness is displayed best for those leaving the comforts of the familiar to enter the unknown of what He has promised them. As we rise up to seek the Lord and His ways, He never promises to make the walk an easy stroll. His promise was never to pave the path with gold and supply soft cushions to rest on as we pursue Him. His promise is to do EVERYTHING HE CAN to teach us about His faithfulness.
So whether in the journey of life or the next trip to the grocery store, look for the places that God is teaching you. I’m sure there is a lesson happening even now. Many times God extols us to remember the days of our past. Take a look down memory lane and see where lessons were given and learned. Do tomorrow’s troubles seem looming? Look at the miracles of yesterday. He is always in control and never loses a teachable moment. He is doing everything He can to teach you His faithfulness.
