REACHING FOR THE INFINITE

By David Woodbury

For the Christian, there are times when we need to get an eternal perspective on life. So much of our life is impacted by the world we live in with its human and unchristian influences and values. There is a sense of constant pressure to set our minds and values by that which surrounds us.

Our way of living here is largely dominated by the dimensions and constraints of our present existence. Reminders of the time limitations on our lives surround us, from the clocks on our devices, the breakfast TV show with its countdown clock ever present in the corner of the screen, and the incessant pressure of transport timetables that get us to and from our place of employment.

Within a few decades, we have become acutely aware that the world has become a global village with limited space. Great waves of migration now reinforce in our minds just how crowded and limited our space has become.  A plethora of multi-storied apartments now crowd our big cities where once stood rather pleasant, small land holdings, along with an ever-increasing cacophony of languages and cultures

The reality is that it is all too easy to become so closely focussed on this temporal world, and it crowds our minds and dominates our thinking processes. That is the blunt and stark reality in which we have to live and function. However, for the Christian, that is not the sum total of our existence, we also live in a spiritual dimension, and that is a little harder to identify and comprehend than the clock on the wall.

If our spiritual life is to be meaningful and real, we need to acknowledge that it will take some effort of mind, and it will be a struggle to re-align our focus. If we want to truly embrace the spiritual, then perhaps we need to spend little time and energy trying to get God’s perspective. Peter helps us put it in perspective.

8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:8-9 – NLT)

The truth is that time and space are not limitations to God as they are in the world of humanity, where they virtually dominate life and thinking. So much of our lives are tied up with;

Ø  where things are happening, and

Ø  when they are happening.

They are inevitable facts of our existence. So much of our living is tied up with the immanent and present.  However, to see the world from God’s perspective is Peter’s focus here and he reaches back to the words of the Psalmist to get people to centre on that perspective. For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. (Psalms 90:4 - NLT)

While we can never fully get God’s perspective of time and space, it will be helpful to try and contemplate and grapple with something wider than our own finite understanding. It is always helpful, both in our spiritual and normal life to stretch the dimensions of our thinking and understanding. 

The Old Testament records a prayer by a man named Jabez who looked to grapple with something bigger than himself. There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. (1 Chronicles 4:9-10 - NLT)

Note his prayer is not definitive although some prosperity advocates have used it to justify their theology. His prayer, that God will expand my territory! No doubt reflected a yearning in his heart to embrace a greater understanding of God; however, God chose to manifest that. We must assume that the response was positive for God granted him his request. God wants His people to grow and expand their understanding of Him, and their relationship with Him and that is not achieved along the easy street of today’s instant society that seeks immediate gratification.

In the 32^nd chapter of Genesis, we have a rather unusual story of Jacob’s encounter with God at Peniel. Quite a physical confrontation ensues. (Genesis 32:24-30) We understand something of a strenuous struggle that takes place and it is said that Jacob wrestled with God. A curious story, and I have often wondered if it reflective of what sometimes is needed if we truly want to encounter God in a more intimate and meaningful way.

At times there is a strenuous degree of commitment and effort if we truly want to embrace and grapple with the deeper side of our spirituality. It is not that God wants to withhold it from us, but rather He wants to know that we are prepared to make the effort and put in the time to truly engage with, and understand Hm.

When all the physical and spiritual struggles are over Jacob names the place Peniel - which means face of God. When we decide to try and move beyond the limitations of our finite existence and make the effort to reach out to God in a deeper way, there may well be those rare moments when we can utter like Jacob; I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.