WRITTEN BY TIM LABRECHE
Is there something you would love to see done in your life that just seems impossible? Is it the adult child who has walked away from the family, vowing never to return? Do you have a family member who is sick that you so desperately want to see healed? Are you struggling to make ends meet and don’t see a way out? Be honest. We all have things in our life that seem like they’re never going to happen. Lives turned around. Health restored. A financial 180-degree turnaround. They all seem like fairy tales. That they’ll never happen to us. But don’t give up hope. Our God is a God of Unlimited Opportunities. Ephesians 3:20-21 says this:
“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.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
These two verses have been an encouragement to me over the years. The pastor at the church we attended when we lived in Holland, Michigan closed every service with these two verses as a reminder for all of us to not forget that our God is greater than any circumstance or situation we may find ourselves in. This piece of scripture has become so dear to me because I’ve seen it lived out in so many different ways in my life and those I love. The opportunities provided and creativity that our God offers to us is unmeasurable! There are so many examples of this in scripture.
In the book of Daniel, we’re shown when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the raging fire because they refused to worship the false idol that King Nebuchadnezzar had created. Their Savior provided them safety from the flames and heat when it seemed like there was no way out.
In Luke 8, the story is told of the young girl who has died during the time her father had left her to go find Jesus to heal her. When he returned with His Healer, a friend told him not to bother Jesus because there was nothing that could be done; the girl had already died. What did Jesus do? He did the impossible and restored her to full health.
When the Israelites stood in the sand with the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army closing in behind them, escape from captivity seemed impossible. They faced insurmountable odds. What did God do? He did the impossible and separated the water from the earth and provided a literal road to deliverance for His people.
In the scripture from Ephesians referenced above, the impossible isn’t done by our own doing. It’s done by “his power that is at work within us,”. Often times, there is nothing we can do to bring a prodigal child home. We cannot, doctors cannot, neurologists cannot, in our own doing, erase Alzheimer’s from a loved one’s body. These insurmountable odds can only be beaten by the Savior who conquered the cross.
Time and time again, what we see as an impossibility, God sees as an opportunity. What is it at this moment that seems impossible to you? Impossible is where God begins!
- Most of us would prefer to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. (Ephesians 6:18)
- Humble yourself and acknowledge that only God can do what God can do in our lives. (Mark 10:27)
- When we pray and ask God to do what seems impossible to us, we must believe that He will do it. (Genesis 18:13-14)
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)
