Have you ever been betrayed? Someone close to you was disloyal, your friend, a person you least expected it from.

 To be betrayed can be hurtful and naturally painful, but what is Gods response to betrayal?

 Position yourself as a leader. You have a board of deacons whom have been with you for a long time. Then it is revealed to you that one of them will betray you. At that moment you are having a meal with them on the same table, eating with your enemy.

 This is what happened to Jesus.

 Have you ever thought of what other things could have happened when Jesus was eating with the disciple he knew would betray him? Various accounts of this incident can be found in Matthew 26: 20 –  29, Mark 14: 17 – 21, Luke 22: 21 – 23 and John 13: 21 – 30. Jesus could have threaten Judas or dealt with him otherwise but he did not. How exactly did Jesus respond? He told Judas the consequences of his actions and continued  business as usual. The ordinance of breaking of bread was established there
right in front of his enemy with all the emotions of being betrayed by a person close to him.

 Our human reasoning cannot comprehend how Jesus responded, but one thing is sure. Jesus committed it into the hands of the father. 1 Peter 2:22 – 23 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled,  reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to
him that judgeth righteously:”

 Thank God for Jesus and the great example he has set for us. Do you feel betrayed? Forgive and commit yourself to him that judgeth righteously. Remember that Romans 12:19 – says ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give  place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the
Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink:  for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head’. There is no point in  trying to fight Gods battles.

 You may not always be able to explain  betrayal. Don’t blame yourself. Did Jesus not pray before he choose his  disciples? He sure did. Rather commit yourself to him that judgeth righteously.  Romans 8:28 – says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them  that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

 In the time of betrayal, run to God, the rock of your refuge. He will protect you and guard your heart and mind. Don’t respond in the flesh but commit yourself to the bishop and shepherd of your soul.

B.O

The Lord has His ways and the wise agree with the ways of the Lord. Its amazing, but in certain ways we can limit what the Lord wants to do in our lives  if care is not taken. I recently heard a testimony and l was eye witness to the  account.

 A lady was about to board a plane in June 2012. She said that she heard very clearly three times ‘ do not board that flight’. She went to the airport and  told the airline that she does not want to board the flight. The airline told  her, that they cannot refund her money, she either boards the flight or loss the  money. She choose to loose the money and thank God she did. The flight crashed  with NO survivors. When she was giving the testimony, she held the ticket for  the flight and waved it standing on the pulpit.


Thank God she obeyed and listened to the warning of the Lord. The Lord wanted to deliver her, and her obedience to the Lord did not limit Gods delivering power which was manifested on her behalf. A very sobering lesson, disobedience to the voice of the Lord can limit God.

 
In the book of Numbers 20, Moses disobeyed the Lord. This was the  consequence:


Numbers 20: 12

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given  them.

 
Lets look at another scripture:

 Deuteronomy 31 : 1- 3
1 And Moses went and spake these words unto all  Israel.


2 And he said unto them, I am an  hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also  the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this  Jordan.


3 The Lord thy God, he  will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee,
and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the  Lord hath said.


If you note from verse 3, Moses said that he is 120 years old and can go no more out and come in and also (which means in addition to this), the Lord had  told him (Moses) that he cannot go over Jordan.

 
Moses would have taken the children of Israel across the Jordan had he not  disobeyed the Lord. Which means that Moses would have been given strength and  everything required to complete the job. There would have been no need for Moses  to say ‘ l cannot go in and out’ in verse 3. We properly would have had an  account of a 120 year old still leading the children of Israel. He would have  been strong enough to do it, but he limited God.

 
The children of Israel also limited God.

 
Psalm 78: 40 – 43

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

  Yea,  they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of  Israel.

  They remembered not his hand, nor  the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

  How he had wrought his signs in  Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.


 Please read the full account in Psalm 78.

 
So can we limit God?  Sometimes, yes we can, in many ways. We must be  careful not to limit God in what He wants to do in our lives. Many today are  refusing to yield to Him and come to the Lord. The Lord wants to reveal His  saving power to many.  The Lord is faithful and able to do exceeding,  abundantly, above all we can ask or think. Refuse to limit the One who wants to  do great things through you and for you. An ever great, awesome and faithful
God!


Abraham is a good example of one who did not limit God. Quick to believe and
obey. The Lord wants to do great things and He will as long as we let Him. He is
ever ready to do good!