Tag Archives: Nothing is impossible with God

Pray with Your Eyes on God – Not Your Difficulties

Standard

Eyes on God.jpg

“Then Peter called to him: ‘Sir, if it is really you, tell me to come over to you, walking on the water.’ ‘All right,’ the Lord said, ‘come along!’ So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted.”

Matthew 14:28 – 30 TLB

We may not be called to walk on water, but we do walk through periods of tumultuous circumstances in life. Right now our world is battling the pandemic virus COVID-19, and we are being tossed about in uncharted waters of a global shutdown. Every time we turn on the television or scroll through social media, we are inundated with a flood of bad news. If we focus on the swirling waves of difficulties surrounding us, we can easily feel like we are being swallowed up by the surge of life’s problems.

Peter experienced a rather unusual example of God’s power when he went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. His faith in Jesus gave him the courage to throw his leg over the side of the boat and step out into the stormy sea.  However, his faith wavered when he realized what he was doing. Once he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the crushing waves around him, he began to sink.

Like Peter, we often start out with great intentions. We may be “prayed up” and filled with holy confidence before we begin to face the day. But once we wade into the undulating sea of life, our faith begins to falter, and we sink in despair. We feel ill-equipped to navigate the storms that batter us. Yet this doesn’t mean that we have failed. When Peter’s faith faltered, he immediately reached out to Jesus. In his time of greatest fear, he called on his Savior to rescue him.

When you are afraid of the troubles that swirl around you, keep your eyes on Jesus’ power rather than your own inadequacies. Call out to Him for help, and He will rescue you from the stormy seas.

“We have to pray with our eyes on God ~ not on the difficulties.” ~ Oswald Chambers

“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:31-33

Nothing is Impossible

Standard

Nothing is impossible

 

“So the impossible is possible with God.”

Luke 1:37 (VOICE)

With God, nothing is impossible! What an encouraging, universal truth. Though the demands you face today may seem insurmountable in light of your own limitations and weaknesses, remind yourself that The God of All Possibilities is right beside you, as an ever-present help. He simply asks that you trust Him and stay connected to His limitless resources through each moment of the day. When anxiety invades your thoughts and you feel overwhelmed, turn your attention away from obstacles and difficulties and focus on His capabilities, rather than your inabilities. When troubles seem near, God is nearer, and He’s ready to help. Remember that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than you could ever imagine or request in your wildest dreams. 

If your life’s purposes and actions are directly aligned with God’s will, nothing can derail you. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, every moment of your day. Trust Him to illuminate each step of your journey and to equip you to handle any problems that come your way. It’s through your weaknesses that God displays His infinite strength, so His power working through you is an unstoppable combination!

  • “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)
  • “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)
  • “God is our shelter and our strength. When troubles seem near, God is nearer, and He’s ready to help. So why run and hide?” Psalm 46:1 (VOICE)
  • “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
  • “But he said to me, “My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So I am very happy to brag about how weak I am. Then Christ’s power can rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIRV)
  • “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)

On We Go!

Standard

Go Forward

 

 

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 
Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water 
so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”
Exodus 14:15 – 16 (NIV)
 

Is God telling you to “move on” today? Is there something you have been praying about, and you sense that God has told you to move in a direction that seems humanly impossible? You can always be sure that if God leads you to it, He will lead you through it.  If you listen carefully to your Heavenly Father’s divine directives and follow His guidance, He can turn dead ends into miraculous detours.

With mountains on one side and the red sea at their backs, the Israelites felt trapped as Pharaoh’s pursuing army closed in on them.  There was no obvious route for their escape, and the people were terrified. But God told Moses to stop crying out to Him and start moving…into the direction of the Red Sea!  The people had no idea that God would part the sea for them to cross on dry land.  As God’s chosen leader, Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14: 13)  Moses had just witnessed God’s incredible deliverance of the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt, and he had faith that God would again protect His children and provide a way of escape from the approaching army. Moses obeyed God’s command, raised his staff, stretched out his hand over the sea, and watched the miracle unfold before his eyes as the sea parted and made a way of escape for God’s children.

So there comes a time when we need to stop praying and start doing. If Moses had doubted God’s directives and continued praying for another answer, the Israelites might have been doomed. Often we refrain from doing whatever God is calling us to do because we are fearful and we doubt our abilities.  But even in your most desperate situations, you can be sure that God is whispering in your ear, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsakeyou.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)  So with God by your side, you can have confidence to move on. Absolutely nothing is impossible for the God of all possibilities.  Never doubt His power nor His abilities.  His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His solutions are beyond our imagination. God’s greatest work is accomplished through our weaknesses.  When we are weak, He is strong, and in our weaknesses God can shine!  On we go!

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:14 (NLT)

Trust the God of Limitless Possibilities

Standard

All I have seen Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

“Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.”
Isaiah 40:28
 

Our finite human minds cannot begin to comprehend the infinite wisdom of God. We try to understand and explain God using our limited knowledge and language based on our earthly experiences, but the scope of God’s almighty and all-powerful attributes is beyond human comprehension. And probably the most difficult thing for us to grasp is that the Creator of all the earth ~ Who never grows weak or weary ~ cares for each of us personally. He is readily available 24/7 to hear our prayers and provide help, healing, comfort, provision, strength, courage or safety for His children.

Is there something you are dealing with that seems overwhelming – like you don’t have the power or wisdom to face it on your own? Turn to the God of Limitless Possibilities and ask Him for help.  He cares about every intimate detail of your life. Nothing is impossible ~ or too wonderful ~ for Him.

 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

“And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27
 
“Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too hard or too wonderful for You— ” Jeremiah 32:17 (AMP)

Heaven’s Hope

Standard

photo (48)

When life is heavy and hard to take, seek the one source of true hope.  Many place their hope in fragile sources, (such as money, possessions, power, fame, or people), yet these can come to an end instantly, rendering them hope~less.  But hope in God is unfailing.  Our Heavenly Father is the hope of the entire world…from the distant edges of the earth and as far as the farthest sea and beyond.

Hope in God brings peace and joy, power and strength, confidence and security.  His watchful eyes are on those who hope in His unfailing love. You can confidently trust that God hears your prayers, and He answers them with amazing, awe-inspiring deeds.

Hope in God is like an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, anchored securely in the One who holds the world in His hands. Believe in the truth that God is bigger than anything you are facing and have faith that nothing is impossible for Him.

Place your trust in Heaven’s Hope ~

  • We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  Hebrews 6:19a
  • May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13
  • The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.  Lamentations 3:24
  • Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21 – 23
  • But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
  • But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, Psalm 33:18 

 

 

Anything is Possible

Standard

IMG_5091.JPG

“God can do anything, you know—

far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”

Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

When you think about your wildest dreams, what comes to mind?  Most of us never openly share our  wildest dreams with others because we feel they are too outrageous or too far fetched for anyone to take seriously.  Those types of dreams might seem humanly impossible with our limited resources and abilities, and no amount of creativity or ingenuity can allow us to visualize a strategy for those dreams to become a reality.

As a child of God, your Heavenly Father knows all about the dreams that are in your heart.  He created you as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, and He has special plans specifically for your life.  The dreams you have might be there because of the unique purpose He has in mind ~ especially for you ~ that no one else can fulfill.  Share your deepest desires with your Heavenly Father, and it’s possible that He plans to fulfill those dreams in ways that are beyond anything you could ever imagine or guess or request…in your wildest dreams!  An experience like that will grow your faith exponentially, like nothing else can.  The depth and breadth of your belief and trust in God will be stretched beyond limits, because you will truly realize that, “Nothing is impossible with God.”  (Luke 1:37 NIV)

It’s possible that your wildest dream might involve a divine miracle.  Perhaps you or your loved one have received a diagnosis of a condition or disease for which there is no cure, and the prognosis seems bleak.  Or perhaps you are facing a mountain of debt that might seem impossible to overcome.  It could be that you are in a marriage that seems doomed, or you have a broken relationship with your son, daughter or parent.  Your problem could involve a compulsive addiction for which you feel powerless to overcome.  Even though these types of situations seem humanly hopeless, we should never lose hope when we place all our cares in the capable, miracle-making hands of our Heavenly Father.   Trust in and cling to the hope infused words of our Savior: “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'” (Mark 10:27 NIV)

So what are your wildest dreams?  Your Heavenly Father is waiting to fulfill them, because NOTHING is impossible with Him!

A Little Boy’s Lunch

Standard

Cannon Summer 2010 035

“There is a boy here who has

five loaves of barley bread and two fish.

But they will certainly not be enough for all these people.

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks,

and distributed to those who were seated

as much as they wanted.

He did the same with the fish.”

John 6:9,11

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.  Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”  Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.  When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”  John 6:5 – 13

As a little girl I remember learning this story in Bible School. It captured my attention because of the fact that Jesus performed this miracle using a little child’s lunch.  As word of Jesus’s miracles and healings spread, his popularity among the people grew, and on this particular day, over 5000 people had gathered to see him. As the story goes, Jesus first asked Philip for a human solution to this problem.  How could we possibly feed more than 5000 hungry people?  Jesus already knew what he was going to do, but he wanted to strengthen Philip’s faith (and anyone else who hears this story!) in the process.  Philip immediately began assessing the probable cost of feeding this massive crowd.  By going through this process, Jesus highlighted the fact that financial resources are not the most important ones.  By Philip’s account, it would be humanly impossible to feed this huge crowd.  But with God, all things are possible!  Jesus can take the little that we have to offer and turn it into something great.

 Something else that we see in this story is that the boy gave what little he had while others gave nothing.  I’m sure there were others in the crowd, including the disciples, who probably had more resources than the boy, but they felt they didn’t have enough to make a difference, so they gave nothing. If we offer nothing to God, He will have nothing to use.  The boy gave the tiny amount that he had, and Jesus used it to perform one of the most spectacular miracles recorded.  With the boy’s small lunch, Jesus fed the enormous crowd and even had enough left over to feed all twelve disciples!

God can take whatever we offer Him in our time, talent, and resources and multiply its effectiveness beyond our wildest imaginations.  No matter what your age, physical abilities, bank account balance, skill level, intelligence, or family background, if you take the first step in making yourself available to God, He can take what you offer and use it in mighty ways to advance His kingdom.

So what’s in your “lunch box” today?