The God of the Impossible

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;

wisdom and power are his.

He changes times and seasons;

he sets up kings and deposes them.

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to the discerning.

He reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what lies in darkness,

and light dwells with him."

Daniel 2:20-22

It was an impossible request.  The king had been wrestling with a disturbing dream and had asked someone to interpret it.  Analysis of dreams is a common demand from kings like Nebuchadnezzar.  But this egotistical, tormented ruler went even further.  He asked all the wise men to not only tell the meaning of his nocturnal visions, but to tell the content of the dream itself.  Ridiculous!  Who could know such a thing?

There was a wise man in the empire who was able to give the king what he wanted, but not because he was so gifted and talented.  Rather, it was because he knew the Author of the dream.  Daniel told the difficult king that, "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries."  (Daniel 2:28)

We all face seemingly impossible tasks every day.  There is the friend with the sharp tongue, or the spouse who stubbornly holds onto past hurts, or the co-worker who only sees the negative.  People are difficult to love.  

There are also the insurmountable crises like the life-changing diagnosis, or the sudden loss of a loved one, or the unexpected shattering of a family.  Life is full of trials.  

Thankfully, there is a God in heaven who is able.  Nothing is too big for him.  Just as God said to Abraham, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?"  (Genesis 18:14)  When it comes to life, I can place my full trust in God because He is the God of the impossible!

Wisdom to Wise

I always have an image of a wise man as being old and decrepit, sitting somewhere ready to dispense his wisdom to all who ask him.   My illustration implies that wisdom comes with age.  Scripture, however, says that, "if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."  (James 1:5)  

Proverbs 9:10 provides more insight in that, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."  Clearly, God is the source of insight and understanding.  He is willing to share it with me if I am willing to ask Him and respect and honor Him in the way I live my life.  

I, however, am incapable of living my life in a way that pleases God.  I mess up every day and I simply am a wretched human being.  I try really hard to do right, but it seems impossible!  Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, my Lord.  Because of His sacrificial death on the cross, I have a weapon against the sin that so easily entangles me.  Instead of getting bogged down by my mess-ups, I can let them go at the foot of the cross where they are covered by Jesus' blood. 

Now I have hope as I trust in Jesus as my Savior.  He gives me the power to give and receive forgiveness, releasing me from sins' hold.  In Christ, "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."  (Colossians 2:3)

As I put my life in Jesus' hands, God will give me the ability to understand the bizarre behavior that is shattering a family.  He will allow me to see the hurting girl hidden behind the angry, bitter woman.  He can open my eyes to the suffering that is camouflaged in the midst of the violence.

Placing my life in the hands of Jesus gives me the ability to realize the unachievable: to know how to handle any crisis, circumstance or situation in a way that honors God. 

Knowledge to the Discerning

Sir Francis Bacon, sixteenth century English author and philosopher is know to have said, "Knowledge is power."  I am certainly seeing that sentiment rise to popularity in this day and age.  The pursuit of education and all the benefits it will provide is a common mantra in our society.  It is preached that every American should pursue a college education as their ticket to success.

Unfortunately, knowledge for knowledge's sake is empty and pointless.  I remember "Cliff," an overweight postal carrier and dispenser of trivial facts in the popular 80's sitcom Cheers.  His life was pretty shallow and meaningless as he clung to the knowledge that defined him.  It never really got him anywhere except for the privilege of a regular seat at the bar. 

Knowledge in and of itself is useless.  Cliff was a very knowledgeable person, but he never spoke of his eternal destination or of anything of lasting significance.  As the Apostle Paul taught to the believers in Corinth, "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  (1 Corinthians 1:18)  A highly educated mind can push me away from Jesus if I become so arrogant as to think I can explain away my sin or even God himself.  

The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the kind of education that will have a lasting influence in my life.  Instead of just sitting around in my brain as so much useless luggage, it will point me to true discipleship.  Jesus said I am to hate all other things besides him: all relationships, all careers, all hobbies, all pursuits, all passions.  Pure devotion to Him is to be my goal.  

Oswald Chambers poses an interesting dichotomy.  He says, "If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will falter; but if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a doormat." 

I can either look up solutions to my problems using my favorite search engine, or I can keep my eyes on Jesus and trust Him to work out all things for the good.    

I can try really hard to love the unlovable, or I can dedicate my day to Him and let Him do the impossible through me. 

I can put all my effort into making the best decisions for my family and loved ones, or I can seek to please God in my thoughts and deeds and trust Him to choose for me.  

Knowledge of Jesus that leads to devotion to Him is the kind of knowledge that will change my life.

Reveals Deep and Hidden Things 

What is wrong with that boy?  

Why did she do that?  It doesn't make sense!

Out of nowhere she just lashed out at me.

I don't know why he left me.  Everything seemed fine.

There are people in my life that I can't possible understand.  Their behavior seems outrageously bizarre; it just doesn't make sense. . . and sometimes I am that person!  Thankfully, God is the One who, "reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light."  (Job 12:22) 

Just as a festering wound must be drained of the dark and putrid infection in order to be able to heal, so my hurts must be exposed to the healing Light.   Proverbs 20:5 says, "The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out." 

When I put my life in Jesus' hands, He has a way of opening up old wounds and finding the root of the problem.  As He gently cleanses my hurts, I am able to let go of the source of the pain so I can heal and move forward to become the woman God created me to be.

But I'm not the only one who needs healing.  There are many people in my life who are suffering from hidden wounds.  Just as a wounded animal can become surly and mean, so a hurting human turns into a monster.  But God can use me to help others to find the source of the problem so they can also be free from the hurt.  

Hidden pain is a roadblock to freedom, but the power of God reveals the deep and hidden things, allowing me to move forward.

My life is filled with impossibilities.  I can tackle them with common sense, education and discipline, or I can submit myself to the God of the impossible who will dispense wisdom to help me negotiate the circumstances of my life, knowledge that leads to a devotion to Christ, and true healing that comes from the exposure of my hurts to the Light.  

It is true; With God, nothing is impossible!  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can look to God as the dispenser of wisdom.

How do I rely on my intellect to get me out of tough situations?

When do I think too much and trust too little?