Believing God for Things That Seem Impossible - Encouragement for Today - January 31, 2024
Believing God for Things That Seem Impossible
KIA STEPHENS
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“Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14 (NIV)
For more than two decades, I pleaded for God’s intervention in a close family relationship.
On my knees, I fumbled for words that would somehow touch the heart of God in a way I had not done before. Some days the words flowed like water from a faucet, and other days they were replaced by tears.
I was in a waiting period, sandwiched between my request and God’s answer to it. Seasons passed — I met and married my husband, birthed two sons and watched them grow — all while wondering if God would bring calm to my storm.
I still believed God was able to do immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine. I just wasn’t sure He would do it for me.
Maybe this is where Sarah found herself too. For several decades of her marriage to Abraham, she waited for God to make her a mother. When Abraham was 75 years old, God promised to make him into a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3). However, this promise would not be fulfilled for another 25 years.
An impatient Sarah suggested Abraham sleep with her maidservant to build a family through her (Genesis 16:2). This was Sarah’s attempt at obtaining the offspring she longed for. She was driven to manipulate the circumstances of her life because she saw no other way, and heartbreak followed her actions.
Still questioning whether she would have a child, Sarah described herself as having “waxed old” (Genesis 18:12, KJV). This phrase in Hebrew means “worn out and decayed.” She had more faith in her physical condition (or lack of physical condition) than she did in God.
God challenged Sarah when He responded to Abraham in Genesis 18:14: “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Despite Sarah’s disbelief, God kept His promise: She birthed a son, Isaac — the embodiment of what Sarah perceived to be “too hard for the LORD.”
Is there anything in your life that seems impossible?
Lingering for days or years, these challenges tempt us to believe they are beyond the reach of God — sickness, financial need, wayward relatives or difficult relationships. No matter what it is or how God chooses to bring about a resolution, obstacles that seem impossible are possible with Him.
A few years ago, the relationship I had been praying about for decades suddenly took a dramatic turn for the better. God met me in my waiting and began a process of healing in me that I previously deemed unlikely. He is able to do the same for you.
“Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14a). The answer to this question is a resounding, “No, nothing is too hard for Him.” He can do what seems impossible.
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me that nothing is too hard for You. When I’m in a waiting season, help me believe that You can do what seems impossible in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
If you have been hurt, rejected or abandoned by your father, it may feel like every aspect of life is affected by that broken trust. In her book, Overcoming Father Wounds, Kia Stephens shares her own story of father wounds, along with eye-opening examples from women in Scripture who were transformed by the love of God. With great compassion, Kia offers practical tools to help you overcome insecurity, low self-esteem, perfectionism, and trouble connecting with God as your loving heavenly Father. Get your copy here!
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Jeremiah 32:17, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (NIV).
What in your life seems too hard for God? How is God drawing you into a deeper relationship with Him as you wait on a resolution? Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2024 by Kia Stephens. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
