Zebra Ministries: Infinite

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Infinite

1 Kings 8:27 (NLT)

“But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!”

Good morning Zebras,

Today’s attribute is infinite.

I know I have written about this before but I couldn’t find it. I went through the older postings on the zebra website but when I couldn’t easily locate it I decided God wanted me to write it again.

Infinite is the very first attribute Tozer covers in his The Attributes of God books. When I first read them I thought that was a very odd place to start. If we were explaining God to someone we would start with His love, or maybe His holiness, but we would never start with that fact that He is infinite.

But knowing that God is infinite, that He exists beyond space and time is important if you are trying to understand how great God is. Because God is infinite He cannot be measured. We talk about endless wealth or boundless energy but there is really no such thing. Everything we have and do is finite and can be measured except for God.

Which means every time we try to explain God, we limit His greatness.

Recently I have felt the strain of trying to explain God with mere words. Words cannot do justice to something that is beyond our understanding, but since it is all we have, they will have to do.

The fact that God is infinite also means that every attribute He possesses, He possesses infinitely. Therefore there is no end to His wisdom, His love or His power. They go on and on, into infinity, never reaching an end. That too is beyond our understanding. We have a limit on our knowledge, abilities, and love. God because He is infinite does not.

But still sometimes we don’t realize how great God is until we put it into perspective.

Think about an ant. It is a great little insect, one which I hope we can all agree is inferior to man. Yet an ant is a finite creature, it can be measured. There is a limit to physical characteristics and abilities. As humans, we too are finite creatures who have limits and can be measured. But God, because He is infinite, does not.

This means, God, in His infinitude, is more superior to humans than humans are to ants. For, although the distant between us and an ant can be measured the distance between us and God cannot. We were created in the image of God, and we have many of His characteristics but the difference between us and He is infinite.

Which when you think about it is very, very comforting. Because I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a God who I can fully explain or understand. Nor do I want a god whose powers and abilities are as limited as my own. I want my God to be the infinite, perfect, all-knowing, all-wise, all-loving, infinitely boundless, perfect God that is found in the Bible. Don’t you?

Love,

Jill

No comments:

Post a Comment

Why Zebras?

In the summer of 2008 I was looking at a herd of zebras in a wild animal park and commented to my son that I didn’t understand why the lions didn’t just eat the zebras because their markings make them so obvious. He told me that the opposite was actually true. God has marked zebras so when they hang together in a herd, their stripes create the illusion they are one large animal and therefore too big to attack. It is the lone zebra that is usually eaten. The same is true of Christians; we must hang together and encourage each other to fight off the lions. The lone Christian is easy prey.

1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Therefore:

Zebras was started to encourage women who desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who want their lives to be transformed to honor God and who are willing to be “zebras” in a world of “horses”. Zebras exists to reassure you that you are not alone and that God has called you to be peculiar. As a peculiar person you should look different than the world

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pastor Endorsement

Jill Getchell speaks from her heart and from God’s word in a way that brings encouragement and hope to God’s people. I’ve been blessed to hear her at Awana conferences, a women’s retreat, and from the pulpit of our church. I am confident your people will be equally blessed by spending the day with Jill at We Have Hope...your church will be blessed as well.

Pastor Al Marks

First Baptist Church Vallejo

I have known Jill for many years now. She truly desires to encourage the churches in our community and to strengthen the believers that attend our churches. Her passion for Jesus comes out in her ability to speak, and her heart is to encourage all those that attend to go back into their churches and be a blessing.

Pastor Kelly Patchin

New Harbor Community Church, Benicia

I believe women are vital to the unity and health of the church. They bear the image of God and serve Him in a great way within His church. Zebras has the ability to unite and excite women to grow in their faith and in their relationships with each other. In John 17:20 Jesus says, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” One of Christ’s last prayers for His church is that they would be one as He is with the Father. And through our unity the world can come to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. Unity is essential for a healthy church and healthy relationships between women. Zebras can stimulate healthy growth in the spiritual lives of the women in your church too. It is a blessing at New Harbor and I believe it would be a blessing for any pastor to have in their church.

Kelly Patchin, Pastor
New Harbor Community Church

Testimonies

The Zebra herd has given me the opportunity to be myself. I think we all have a face we put on for others, especially on Sunday. We don’t want to let anyone see the pain or hurt we’re suffering because we feel that it’s a reflection on our walk with Christ. I now have a group of loving Christian women with whom to share the joys and sorrows equally… Without the Zebras, I’d still be wearing my Sunday face. ...............Dawn C.

The Zebra ministry has deepened my relationship with Christ and the women at my church beyond what I thought possible... Most importantly, it has given me a safe place to be very, very real… I have learned how to be transparent and allow my fellow Zebra sisters to support me in prayer and God to minister to the deepest part of my soul--the part that needed it the most.................... Jennifer H.

When I came to New Harbor Church I was so lonely. I knew I needed the fellowship of other Christian women but did not know if I could break out of my self-imposed isolation. I felt unworthy of anyone’s friendship, let alone" godly people"... But Zebras has made me feel the true acceptance of these wonderful women. I have slowly opened my heart to them, with their encouragement and love! I don't have that heavy ache of solitude anymore. ................Barbara B.

I was with you in the beginning meetings of the herd and watched it evolve into a place where we as sisters in Christ could share our burdens without judgment. Being a Zebra helped me through a very trying time- Leap of Faith– leaving a relationship, selling my home and trusting in God. It was encouraging to know that I was not alone and being a part of a group where women could feel understood, comforted, and lifted up spiritually. .................Tracy M.

Zebra Events

Contact information