Mission Impossible, part 3

"For nothing is impossible with God." 

Luke 1:37

Sometimes, a woman wants nothing more than to conceive and give birth to a healthy child.  She and her husband try and try and try again.  They pray and pray and pray all the more.  Nothing happens.  Sometimes, the heartfelt desire is not just to give birth, but to give birth to a son who will carry on the family name.  Years pass and the woman finds herself beyond her child bearing years.  Too late, it won't happen, it can't happen. Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't God's plan, you think. 

Consider Sarah, the wife of Abraham.  When Abraham was 75 and Sarah was 65, God promised that he'd be the father of many nations. This followed with a more specific promise of a son born to them (see Genesis 17).    As they grew older and older, no child was conceived.  Only when they reached the ages of 100 and 90 respectively, when conceiving and giving birth was an absolute impossibility, did Sarah conceive and give birth to the son of promise, Isaac.  What was impossible for man was possible with God. 

Ask Elizabeth, Zechariah's wife and the mother of John the Baptist about God's possibility (see Luke 1).  Ask Samson's mother, the wife of Manoah, how long she had been sterile and childless before he was born (see Judges 13).  Ask Hannah, Samuel's mother, how much time she spent in prayer before she was able to conceive (see 1 Samuel 1).  Ask the virgin Mary about the impossibility of becoming pregnant even though she had never had a sexual encounter (see Luke 1).

God's word is before each of you, all of us.  It is the truth.  For nothing is impossible with God.  What does God mean when He says "nothing"?  Your heartfelt desire, your greatest need, the desires of your heart are all included in God's "nothing."

Mission Impossible, part 2

"For nothing is impossible with God."

Luke 1:37

Consider a woman who suffered bleeding for 12 years which made her ceremonially unclean according to Jewish law (see Mark 5:25-34).  She had seen all the doctors and specialists, and had tried every possible remedy.  Nothing worked.  Instead of getting better, she only got worse. In addition to being sick, weak, and in consistent pain, her husband had divorced her, family had quietly backed away from her, she had no friends, couldn't even go to church.  Unable to work, she had finally spent all she had on doctors and medicine. Where to turn?  What to do? Life had become for her a mission impossible.

One day, she became sick and tired of being sick and tired. She had heard of a man called Jesus.  He was to be in her town the next day.  She had overheard snatches of conversation about how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil.  Could He be her one last hope for deliverance?  Would He talk to her?  If she touched Him, He'd be made unclean. Was it possible for her to be healed?  Would He charge her anything?  What would people say?

The more she thought about the man Jesus, the more a plan unfolded in the recesses of her mind.  Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, would be wearing a prayer shawl. A blue thread would be hanging from each of its four corners.   If she could get through the crowd of people unnoticed, and touch any one of those blue tassels, she'd be healed. On her knees, she slowly but surely made her way through the crowd.  Fully persuaded, absolutely determined, persistently diligent, the blue tassel on his prayer shawl was but an arm's length away. And then, as she touched it, she knew that she knew that she knew that her impossible mission had been accomplished.

Will God do the same for you?  Yes!  "For nothing is impossible with God."

 

 

Mission Impossible

"For nothing is impossible with God."

Luke 1:37

Start a business.  Go to law school.  Move three children and a dog across country, away from all family, friends, and familiar places.  Quit your job.  Lose 100 pounds.  Go back to school.  Seek healing from a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. 

Before you is what seems to be an impossible mission or situation. You are facing insurmountable odds.  Others have been at this place and failed.  Others have had the same diagnosis and died. What makes you different from all the others before you? 

The Word of God often reminds us of impossible situations that with Him are made possible.  And that is why we are told by the gospel writer that nothing is impossible with God.  Even our unchanging God may change his mind as He did with King Hezekiah (see 2 Kings 20:1-6) when he was at the point of death.  The prophet Isaiah was sent to tell him that he would not recover and was going to die.  Hezekiah immediately went  in prayer to the life giving Source, his Creator, the Great Physician and reminded Him of his faithful and devoted walk.  God changed His mind, healed the king, and added 15 years to his life.

Will God, who is no respecter of persons, remove impossibility from your situation?  Yes, of course He will.  Can you pray and believe God for the impossible to be made possible? Will you speak to the mountain of impossibility facing you?  Can you believe that with God, nothing is impossible?

Speak those words.  Boldly declare them.  Act on them.  See God change the impossible to possible.