God of Impossibilities
As we walk with God and get to know Him, one thing He attempts to teach us is that He is the God of impossibilities. That is, He is able to take an impossible situation and turn it around to our benefit.
Consider Job’s situation… Job’s life was a disaster; he had lost almost everything – property, children, health, and the respect of his friends – and he didn’t even understand why. There wasn’t much to live for. Even his wife was pressuring him to die. There was no way for him to recover from such a disaster. Yet, God pulled him out of the depths of despair and restored everything to him, in double portion. Through that experience Job learnt that his God is the God of impossibilities.
Consider Noah’s situation… Noah was on water for forty days and nights. There was no sight of land. God didn’t tell him how long the flood would last and what the entire plan was. Everyone except his family was destroyed. Yet God had a plan, and Noah and his family survived the flood and lived well after that. Through that experience Noah learnt that his God is the God of impossibilities.
Consider Abraham’s situation… God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be as uncountable as the stars. Yet Abraham was nearing a hundred years and had no child through Sarah. He was helpless. But God remembered Abraham and gave him Isaac. Through that experience Abraham learnt that his God is the God of impossibilities.
God then tested Abraham again by asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. But by then, Abraham was confident enough to know that his God is a God of impossibilities and he just figured that even if Isaac died God would be able to raise him up again. Handling impossible situations became easier for Abraham.
Consider Joseph’s situation… Joseph was in prison for no fault of his, and was accused of a very serious crime. There was no way he would be able to get out. It was as if God had deserted him. All the dreams that he had earlier about the great things he would do and be now seemed impossible. Yet Joseph did not lose hope and worked hard and did his best. Even then his friends in prison disappointed him. But God did not forget Joseph, and at the right time God pulled Joseph out of the dungeon and made him great. Through that experience Joseph learnt that his God is the God of impossibilities.
Consider Moses’ situation… Moses was banished from Egypt and stripped of his power. He barely escaped with his life. He lived with his father-in-law for forty years – humiliated daily like any man living with his father-in-law would be. He must have believed that his life would end with nothing great achieved. But God had a plan for him and met with Moses and made him great. Through that experience Moses learnt that his God is the God of impossibilities.
Consider David’s situation… David was anointed to be king, but for many years he was persecuted by Saul. The entire Israeli army was hunting for him, and he was just a young man. How terrified he must have been at times! Several times he escaped death narrowly. Yet he didn’t lose hope, and finally, at the right time, God made him king. Through many difficult or impossible situations God taught David that his God is the God of impossibilities.
Consider Daniel’s situation… the king wanted to his wise men to tell him his dream and its interpretation – an impossible task. The king didn’t give his wise men much time to figure things out either. Daniel prayed and received knowledge of the king’s dream and its interpretation. Through that experience Daniel learnt that his God is the God of impossibilities. Years later, when Daniel was put in the lion’s den he was able to handle it well because he already knew his God to be the God of impossibilities.
Consider the situation in which Daniel’s three friends were in… The king required them to bow down before his statue or face death. They refused, and were tied up and thrown into the fire. There was no escape. They were prepared for the end. But God rescued them – at the very last minute! It was through such a situation that they came to experientially know their God as the God of impossibilities.
All these men had to face impossible situations and had to depend on God during those situations. Through those situations God taught them that He is the God of impossibilities.
If you want to walk with God and allow Him to use you in a marvelous way then you must realize that God will take you through impossible situations too. While in that situation you must not lose hope. Imagine if Job killed himself, or if Noah gave up and didn’t bother to keep the ark afloat, or if Abraham kept trying to have children through women other than Sarah, or if Joseph turned into an evil man in prison, or if Moses refused to go back to Egypt, or if David took Saul’s life with his own hands to rush God’s plan, or if Daniel gave up praying to God for understanding the king’s dream, or if Daniel’s friends caved in.
Just make sure that you love God and are blameless and that your conscience is clear. That is, if you have done wrong to anyone make sure that you have repented and made any necessary restitution. When you love God and walk blamelessly before Him with a clear conscience then He will make all things to work for your good.
If you cannot figure out why you are in a trial (a difficult or impossible situation), go ask God. Trials don’t come arbitrarily, but for a reason. James tells us that if we don’t have the wisdom to understand why we are having a trial we should ask God (not our pastor or spouse or friend, but God) for that wisdom and for the wisdom for how to handle the trial.
Sometimes, trials are God’s judgment. For example, in his later years David faced a lot of trials because of what he did to Uriah. For another example, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was because the Jews crucified Jesus. If we are under judgment we need to examine ourselves and note our sin and repent of it and make restitution. God will not let His children get away with evil but will discipline them strongly.
Trials can wear us down. What do we do when we are weary? In Mt 11:25-30 Jesus said that we should go to Him, trusting Him like a child would trust his mother rather than like a smart person who doesn’t need any help (verse 25). He also explained why we should go to Him. It is because He knows why the Father has sent the trial to us (verse 27). He also said that He is in full control of the trial (verse 27) and so He can take it away in a jiffy at the right time.
If you are in a trial, find out why. Try to understand what God is trying to accomplish in you through that trial. Cooperate with God to get that accomplished as soon as possible. Once the purpose of the trial is accomplished God will take the trial away (verse 29).
Through the trial, God is gentle and will not make the trial more severe that it needs to be (verse 29). Compared to how things would turn out if you didn’t master the trial, the yoke of the trial is easy and the burden of the trial is light (verse 20). So hang in there, figure it out and get past it. It is not rocket science. You can do it.
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