OUR VISION IS TOO SMALL

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

                Recently I read an article about the discovery that the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate. One scientist stated that in the distant future, our night sky will be completely devoid of stars because they will have moved too far away from us. This got me thinking about heaven. I have always wondered about how God was going to accommodate all of the believers who have ever lived in heaven. The Bible tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth in which believers will take up residence. Maybe our expanding universe gives us a clue of what the future holds.

                One of the difficulties we have when we read the Bible is that we our limited by our frame of reference. We interpret everything by what we know. But what if there were no limits? What if our frame of reference was expanded? How would that change our view of eternity?

                For many centuries scientists thought the universe was static. Then they discovered that the universe is expanding. From their frame of reference they determined that this expansion was gradually slowing down and would one day come to an end. Then the frame of reference changed again. This time they discovered that the expansion of the universe is actually accelerating. Scientists now have to readjust their understanding of the universe again.

                God is not limited by space as we are. When we think about God and about eternity, we need to readjust our frame of reference. God’s frame of reference and ours are universes apart. Paul hinted at this in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

                From our frame of reference, if all of the believers throughout all of history were restored to the earth at the same time, it would not be paradise. It would be grid-lock. But what if God spread His children out throughout an ever expanding universe? What if travel through space and time was no longer an issue? Then heaven could accommodate an infinite number of believers. Not only that. Heaven could hold an infinite capacity for exploration and discovery. We would never come to the end of the ever expanding glory of God.

                My point is not to speculate about the actual dimensions of heaven, but to break us free from our limited frame of reference. Our vision of God and what God can do is far too small. When Paul writes that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, he really means it. We cannot fully comprehend the vastness of God’s creative power.

                What does this mean for us right here and right now? It means that we can stop putting limits on God’s work in our world and in our lives. We can trust the God of no limits. When Mary was confronted with the news that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, she immediately put limits on God. The angel responded to her by saying, “nothing is impossible with God.” When Jesus encountered the Rich Young Ruler, and explained to His disciples how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom, He reassured them with these words. "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26) When the desperate father came to Jesus asking for his help, Jesus reminded him that God can do all things.

                Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:21-24 (NIV)

                We all stand side by side with that father. Our frame of reference keeps getting in the way of our faith. So we cry with him, we believe. Help us overcome our unbelief.