Nothing Is Impossible With God

“For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Luke 1:37, NKJV

A Personal Story

It was only two weeks since a new boss took charge. Life as I knew it was over. My heartache was great as decisions impacted my role and ultimately would move me from my place of employment, a place I called home for more than two decades.

Months earlier I made plans with some of my students for us to take a senior trip the next year. A great group of young people, I was eager to do something special before they all went their separate ways. But that particular morning, I cried out to God.

“Lord, I’m going to have to cancel the trip coming in the spring unless You do something. I can’t make it until then!”

I’m not the only one who has ever found themself in a situation so emotionally painful they can’t see a way to keep going. Our choices are minimal. Find the courage to stay and continue. Or find the courage to leave. Neither choice is easy or pleasant, but something must give, or we know we’ll fall apart.

God Hears

I’m convinced there are two types of prayers. Words we speak from the mind. And cries which come from the heart. Our Father hears both. But my belief is the cries from our heart pierce the heart of the Father, and His response comes quickly. Just as an earthly father or mother who hears his or her child cry in pain, our Heavenly Father knows the cry of His children when they’re hurting beyond their ability to handle. And He bends low to help.

As I got in the car to drive to work that morning, dread hanging over me as it did every morning that school year, I had no idea our Father was already sending His answer. My cry, “Unless You do something,” was met with my Father’s love.

There was no flash of light. No loud voice or even a quiet one. But my Abba Father did “something.” My circumstances did not change. But when I arrived at school that day, I knew. God had answered my prayer. His “something” was to speak peace to my heart, taking away my flight response and giving me the courage to stay. As small as that might seem, for me it was a gift. A recognition my Father saw me. And with God, nothing is impossible.

Tears still flowed regularly that year. The emotional pain did not disappear. But My Father’s presence never left me and the courage and strength I needed to make it through until He was ready for me to leave were mine.

Jeremiah’s Story

In Jeremiah 32, we read a story of Jeremiah the prophet sitting in the court of the prison. Zedekiah, king of Judah, put Jeremiah in prison because Jeremiah spoke God’s word, and Zedekiah didn’t like what he heard.

The people of Judah had persisted in turning their backs on God, and the one true God had enough of their evil ways. God made it clear, through Jeremiah, Babylon would succeed in taking over Jerusalem. King Zedekiah would be captured and taken to Babylon. But rather than repent, Zedekiah threw the messenger into prison, as if that would stop the Lord’s words from coming true.

While it wasn’t unusual in that time for a king to disregard the words of the Lord given through one of His prophets, what came next was unique.

God told Jeremiah a relative would come to him to give him the option of buying a field. And God told Jeremiah to buy it.

Jeremiah’s in prison. He knows the enemy army is about to conquer the city. And God tells him to buy a field. Seriously?

But isn’t that how we think and feel sometimes? What are you up to God? Are you in tune with what’s going on down here?

Our Creator God, the King of the universe, knows full well what’s happening in our world, both globally and personally, and He moves in ways we don’t understand. Sometimes He does “something” as He did for me. But always He works to bring good from the trials we encounter. Nothing is impossible with God.

God Cares

As we continue to read in Jeremiah 32, we learn some of God’s plan. Sometimes here on earth we don’t get the “why” behind His “do this.” But in this case, God told Jeremiah what was to come. The Babylonians would take over the city. God’s people had acted so wickedly for so long, His wrath would pour down on them, and they would be scattered. BUT. The day was coming when God would bring His people back to the land. Jeremiah’s purchase of the property was a validation of God’s plan for the future of His people.

When we face trials, we often ask, “Why?” “Does life have to be this way?” “Where was God when that happened?”

But the Father sees differently than we do. He knows we live in a world riddled with sin. Evil is at work around us. Sometimes we’re affected by the works of evil men. Jeremiah did nothing wrong, but was in prison. The enemy would conquer his city even though he wasn’t one who had turned his back on God. But God was with him.

So it was for me when I cried out to God years ago. He was with me. He allowed the situation I was in, but He sustained me in it until He was ready to take me out of it. With God, nothing is impossible.

God Answers

Jeremiah obeyed God when He told Jeremiah to buy a field. But then Jeremiah presented a question to YHWH. It began like this.

Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name, Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

Jeremiah 32:17-19

Then Jeremiah continued by reminding YHWH He had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and had blessed them, but the people had rejected the Almighty. Now YHWH was bringing the Babylonians in to take over the city as punishment, and yet He wanted Jeremiah to buy a field.

The hanging question was, “why?”

How gracious of our God to answer us when He does. He doesn’t have to. He’s God, and we aren’t. But YHWH replied to Jeremiah and this is what is recorded.

Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Jeremiah 32:26-27

The Father graciously explained to his prophet, in great detail, how He was working. His people deserved the wrath that was coming on them because of their great evil. But in God’s great mercy and love, He would bring them back to the land.

Jeremiah 32:42 says, “For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.”

Because nothing is impossible with God, after His people were disciplined, He would bring them back to the land. Jeremiah’s purchase of a field was a foretaste of what was to come.

Trust God

Our God, YHWH, the God of Israel, is Lord over all. He is righteous and just and requires much from His people. But He is also gracious and full of mercy and lovingkindness. He wants to bless us and desires for us to walk with Him and let Him walk with us.

Eternity looms ahead of each one of us. Jesus says He is the way, the truth, and the life. Meaning, He is the way to the Father. There is one truth and not many different ones. And life is ours for the asking if we simply let Jesus be to us Who He already is, the Messiah, Savior of mankind, Son of the Living God, Lord of all.

While we’re here on this earth, we’ll face trials and hard times. They come in all shapes and sizes. We may be hit physically, emotionally, or mentally, or a mixture of all three. For sure, we will face spiritual battles. The enemy wants us to forget God or not believe Him when He says Who He is. He is good. He is Sovereign. He loves us with an everlasting love. And with God, nothing is impossible.

We will have troubles on this earth. But the Father hears our heart cries. May we always remember, our God loves us and WILL work on our behalf. He is always able to do “something.” Nothing is too hard for Him.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:3

(Scripture: KJV except where noted; Photos: Taken by Carolyn Thigpen, Myrtle Beach, SC, May 2024; Read Jeremiah 32 here; Read another post related to this post here: The Heart of God.)