ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD

Nothing is impossible with God.  When you open up the pages of the Bible you see that God is spectacular in His theatre. God spoke the world into being.  He parted the Red Sea for Moses, tumbled down the walls of Jericho for Joshua, and shut the mouths of lions for Daniel. If you close your eyes and imagine, you will see that Scripture is better than a movie!  “Ah Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for You.”  (Jeremiah 32:17)

Extend this same thought down through the centuries to Jesus’ birth when the angel, Gabriel said to the Virgin Mary, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”(Luke 1:37)  Jesus was born, the Messiah, the Son of God, and He followed in His Father’s footsteps, turning water into wine, feeding the 5,000, walking on water, healing the blind, raising Lazarus from the dead.

All things are possible with God. Possible is translated “dynatos”:   Able, mighty, powerful, strong. (G1415) Can you see the word dynamite in the original Greek word? It is the same word used for the name of God in Mary’s prayer of adoration: “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.” (Luke 1:49)

So if all things are possible with God, why do we get so confused?  Why do we question when He does not do the impossible: right every wrong, cure every illness, heal every relationship that has gone astray? Why does He simply say no to some of our requests?  It’s not what He can do, but what He chooses to do that baffles us.

The will of the Father. Jesus taught about this and then lived this principal out.  In the early part of ministry, when He taught His disciples to pray, this is how the Lord’s Prayer begins:

“Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.  Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6: 9-10)

Notice that Jesus begins His prayer looking to who His Father is: Holy.

Jesus then declares that there is a heavenly kingdom in which God’s will is always done, and that will transcends down to our lives on this earth.  But there is a clash: His wills versus our free wills.  God is asking our wills to line up with His perfect will in the midst of disobedience, lack of faith, sinfulness and suffering.

Jesus continues this teaching and His example throughout His  ministry:

“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.  His daily nourishment was to do the will of the Father.” (John 4:34)

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38)

And then ultimately Jesus modeled in His own life doing the will of the Father when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane:

“And He was saying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36) Three times He petitioned the Lord with this request.  It was hard fought prayers.  Words such as “grieved”, “distressed”, and “troubled” are used.  He asked others to pray with Him and to keep watch, to be on the alert.  When his disciples did not, an angel came and ministered to Him. But, when He had finished praying, His will was aligned with His Father’s will. He brought God the greatest of all glory because Christ “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)   After praying, He said to His disciples “Get up and let’s get going.” (Matthew 26:46) So be it.  The time has come. What if God had said yes to the prayers of Jesus?  If He had, you and I would be lost in our sins, for it is only possible through the blood of the Lamb, the perfect sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son, that we are reconciled to our Heavenly Father. “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4).  “Then who can be saved?  With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:26-27).  God said no for the sake of others. This points out that there are reasons for a no answer, just as there are other reasons for a parent to say no to a child.  Sometimes in our weakness God’s glory is better displayed.  Sometimes He says no so He can say yes to something better.  Sometimes our requests would lead us into temptation and to sin.  Sometimes we are not in right relationship with Him to even ask.  Sometimes it is so we will grow and trust in Him for fully.   But ultimately, it is because He is eternal, we are finite, He has a purpose and a plan, and we must trust Him by faith. The best way to find out the will of the Father is to bring it to Him in prayer. As you seek His will for your life, not only will you get to know His will, you will get to know Him better.  “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17)

Dialog with Him.  Bring your requests to Him and the peace that passes all understanding 

will invade your soul.  Bring your doubts, your fears, your praise and your petitions before 

Him.  Get to know Him better as you do.  He is faithful, trustworthy, good, merciful, just, 

holy.  God is love.

While praying remember to:

·     Pray in faith:  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

·     Pray for wisdom. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

·    Pray trusting Him:  “for they cried out to God in battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him.” (I Chronicles 5:20)

·     Pray in the Spirit: “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)

·     Pray earnestly: “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.”  (Colossians 4:12)

·    Pray for His name to be glorified: “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

·      Pray knowing that He is able:  “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

What about you?  Do you trust the Lord?  Do you spend time in prayer seeking not only His hand and His provision, but also who He is?  Do you look through the lens of your circumstances to interpret who God is, or do you look to God through His Word and in prayer to discover who He is? If He asks you for sacrifice and obedience that does not align with your will, do you say “Yes, Lord” and get up and go anyway? Do you know that He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose?  Lean hard into Him and seek His face; He will draw near to those who draw near to Him.

“I find the doing of the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans.”

—George MacDonald