What's Impossible for God?

I admit I’m not an auto mechanic. Far from it. In fact, I’m not aware of any other pastors who are. That’s probably because some of the language frequently used in addressing stubborn car problems is not compatible with being a man of the cloth.

There’s been this loud, annoying rattling / knocking sound coming from somewhere under the hood of my aging Toyota Corolla. I may not know much about cars, but it doesn’t sound good and it didn’t used to be there. I really don’t want the motor dropping out of the vehicle somewhere in the middle of the highway.

Personally, I’d love to get another 7-8 years out of this thing (it’s a 1998 with about 130,000 miles). In just four years it will be a good first car for my oldest son, who is definitely not getting a Torch Red ZR-1 Corvette with a handcrafted LS9 638-horsepower supercharged V8 when he turns 16.

So I took it to a guy for him to look at. He diagnosed a possible cause, did a little work, but didn’t make the noise go away. I should also say I’m not really interested in spending a ton of money digging around for other potential, but not guaranteed, fixes. Maybe it’s something I can live with. A little embarrassing driving around on clattering wheels, yes, but I’ve also been living with the “Check Engine” light on for the past several years. And yes, I always make sure the gas cap is securely tightened.

What I want to tell you though, is that this morning when I went to start ‘er up, the rackety mess of machinery was purring like a kitten humming softly on a spring day. And I wonder if someone’s been praying for God’s blessings toward us.

Could it be that without even knowing this situation, somebody’s been asking the Lord to take care of our needs? Is it possible that simply out of His grace that He has answered in this way? Do you suppose God knows how to fix car engines?

Let me give you a word that defines what’s impossible for God: nothing. Add that to the fact that God cares passionately about even the smallest needs of His people, and you’ve got a formula that equals grace every time.

Look at some of God’s “impossible” acts of mercy and grace on behalf of His people. We’ll start in the Old Testament. Giving Abraham and Sarah a son, even though they were well beyond child-bearing years. Inflicting the plagues upon Egypt in order to rescue His people Israel. Drying up the Red Sea. Feeding His people with manna from heaven and providing water for their thirst out of a rock. Breaking down the walls of Jericho. Raining down fire from heaven on Elijah’s water-logged sacrifice. Filling a widow’s vessels of oil until there were no more jars. Just to name a few.

In the New Testament you have a virgin conceiving a child. Blind men receiving their sight. Lepers made clean. Demon-possessed in their right minds. Deaf now hearing. Mute singing the praises of God. Lame men running and leaping for joy. Sick people made well. A man with a withered hand restored whole. Dead raised to life. Crowds of thousands eating their fill from a little boy’s sack lunch. Jesus calming a storm with a word of command and walking upon the waves of the sea. I’m only getting warmed up!

The point is this: nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible for God. There is nothing too difficult for Him. Nothing! What are you trusting God for today? By faith in the name of Jesus, what are you praying for and believing God for right now?

Is He obligated to grant every wish like some kind of divine genie? No. Will my Corolla run forever? Probably not. But I know that He knows my needs better than I do. And I choose to trust Him. He’s never let me down. “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).