It is not enough for us simply to believe in God as creator, the maker of all things. We also have to believe he’s a God who yearns to do the impossible in our lives. The Bible makes it very clear: “…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
We’re quick to counsel others that He can. When we see our loved ones enduring difficult times, we tell them, “Hold on, and look up. The Lord is able. Don’t stop trusting him. He’s the God of the impossible.”
Yet, I wonder – do we believe these truths for ourselves? Sarah in Genesis 18:10, who doubted the Lord, probably would have offered this very counsel to her friends. Imagine she heard about a godly couple in a similar situation – faithful people who wanted a baby but were too old to bear one. The couple believed God had promised them a child, but now they were growing older. And little by little, they were losing confidence in their dream.
As a pastor who counsels, I know I can’t offer anything to a married couple who doesn’t believe God can save their relationship. Things may appear absolutely hopeless to them; they may have built up years of resentment and bitterness. But they have to be convinced God can do the impossible.
I tell such couples right away, “Yes, I’ll counsel you. But first I have to ask – do you truly believe God can fix your marriage? Do you have faith that no matter how impossible things look to you, he has the power to restore your relationship?”
All over this nation, Christians are giving up on their marriages. Even some of my minister friends are divorcing. When I talk with them about their situation, I realize they don’t think their marriage can be healed. They simply don’t trust God to do the impossible for them.
Yet any Christian couple who throws up their hands and quits the battle doesn’t truly want their marriage to be restored. In fact, many spouses who come to see me for counseling have already made up their minds to leave the relationship. The only reason they’re there is to get my approval on the direction they’ve predetermined.
God can restore whatever has seemed dead in our lives with just a single word. Are you having financial problems, unable to pay your bills? So it was with the Lord’s disciples – and he fixed their situation supernaturally.
When tax time came around, Christ and his disciples had no money to pay the needed amount. So how did the Lord fix the situation? He sent Peter out to catch a fish. Jesus told him he would find a coin in the mouth of the first fish he caught, and that coin would cover their tax bill.
I can only imagine what Peter must have thought: “Tax money in a fish’s mouth? This I’ve got to see. I’ve been a fisherman all my life, and I’ve seen a lot of things inside fish – worms, hooks, seaweed. But I’ve never seen a coin inside one.” Yet, when Peter reeled in the first flopping fish, he opened its mouth to find a gleaming coin. The amount was enough to pay their taxes, just as Jesus had said.
Why did the Spirit move upon the gospel writers to record this story? And why did Jesus choose to fix their situation through a miracle? Why didn’t he just take up an offering, or send the disciples out to work for a day to bring in wages for the tax?
I believe Jesus moved supernaturally here because he wanted to prove to his children he’ll do the impossible for us. He can fix any financial problem, any family crisis, any overwhelming need.
He wanted us to know He is the same God who fed Elijah with bread delivered by a raven, who kept a widow’s barrel of meal from dwindling during a drought…who saved that widow from her creditors by filling huge pots of cooking oil from a little pint jar of oil…who fed a crowd of 5,000 – and later another crowd of 4,000 – with a few fishes and loaves of bread. He knows that at certain times in our lives only a miracle will do. And he wants to assure us he can do the impossible for us, in any situation.
So, dear friend, get hold of faith – believe God to absolutely change and transform your life. If he provided for the destitute widow, for the demon-possessed boy, and for Jairus’ daughter, he can provide for you. Our God can fix anything.
By World Challenge.
This article first appeared Here
