I grappled with my emotions when I heard the news of my mother’s stroke. Concern, fear, and flashbacks to my uncle’s death from the same condition consumed my thoughts. Fortunately, my mother survived, though paralysis on her left side caused dementia and restricted her to a wheelchair. I prayed she would walk again.
Meanwhile, walking seemed possible with considerable physical therapy and a walker. As the months progressed, physical therapy did not keep her muscles from atrophying, even her functioning leg. Presently, walking, even standing, seems impossible. Discouragement. Loss of confidence in God. Why did God save my mother from death just to be imprisoned in a wheelchair? I wonder—is it true that nothing is impossible with God?
Joshua prays boldly
Do you recall the old movie from 1951 remade in 2008 called “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” chronicling the story of aliens arriving on earth to destroy the human race? Likewise, have you heard of “The Day the Sun Stood Still”? Surely, this was no Hollywood movie — it really happened in response to an audacious prayer from Joshua to get more daylight to conquer the enemy (Joshua 10:1-14).
The Bible says, “On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. There has never been a day like this one before or since when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day” (Joshua 10:12-14 NLT).
Nothing is impossible with God
Obviously, we know that the earth moves, not the sun. However, God created the world (Genesis 1) so naturally, He has control over it to let the sun stand still for Joshua to get the victory. Above all, no matter how God did it, Joshua had bold faith and trusted that God would do the impossible and deliver the daylight needed to defeat Israel’s enemies.
Therefore, God is waiting patiently for us to ask for what we think is impossible so that He can show His glory to us. Do you need a miracle? Is there something in God’s will that you think is impossible?
Nothing is impossible with God.
Pastor Steven Furtick wrote, “God is perfectly willing to perform the impossible in our everyday lives. If we have the audacity to ask. There’s nothing our world needs more desperately today — in individuals, families, businesses, churches, and communities — than God’s saving, supernatural acts. And God is ready to act if we will be bold enough to ask, not just for a good day or a better life, but for the impossible and then will step forward to act in audacious faith. If we have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to perform.” [1]
Conclusion
Our Heavenly Father always wants the best life for us. Perhaps we pray for impossibly outrageous requests, not part of God’s plan for us or not in our best interests. But trust God. He knows the “big picture.” And we do not.
Be bold. Be audacious. God is all-seeing and all-knowing.
Finally, as I pray for my mother’s healing, I attempt to have audacious faith like Joshua. But, trust me, I am not always that courageous. Perhaps there is a purpose for my mother’s pain. Perhaps she will not be healed until she is in heaven. However, I continue to ask for what I think is humanly impossible, believing that nothing is impossible with God.
Never stop praying. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NLT)
Reference
- Furtick, Steven. Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible. Multnomah Books, 2010.
