THE POSSIBILITY OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

 

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." 6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.  (Luke 17:5, 6 NKJV)

You are asking me to perform the impossible; I am sure that I can never become a great tree, said a tiny mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds, as it lay on the soft dirt where it had dropped.

Suddenly it was caught up with a shovel full of dirt, and planted, it seemed, fathoms deep; in reality but a few inches! There it lay in darkness and neglect. After some weeks, a tiny green shoot appeared above the ground, and looked up to where the great parent tree was growing; it whispered softly to itself, "Perhaps I shall be able to do it after all." "Do what?" "Perhaps I shall become a great tree in which the birds may roost." "But a few weeks ago you said it was impossible. Then I had no idea that God would work in me as He has done; if He goes on pouring Himself into me as He has been doing of late, there is nothing that I can’t do; yet not I, but His life which lives and works in me."

There is no need to explain or enforce the meaning of the allegory. Our Lord had bidden His disciples to forgive "until seventy times seven," and they had replied that such a thing would be impossible, without a great increase of faith. "No," said the Master, "you do not need quantity but quality."

All God's fullness will flow through the tiniest channel that faith opens up to His almighty power. Faith is the open heart towards Him, and through the channel of faith Christ lives in and through us. Hudson Taylor heard God say: "I am going to evangelize inland China, and if you will walk with Me, I will do it through you." D.L. Moody said that the beginning of his marvelous ministry was the remark made in his hearing: "The world has yet to learn what God can do through a man wholly yielded to Him." It is not what we do, but what God does through us, that counts; and His mighty power, passing through the tiniest opening of faith, keeps making it wider.

PRAYER

Most gracious Lord, You did truly say, "Without me you can do nothing.'" We know that this is so by our past failures, when we have fought in our own strength. Help us to use the little faith we have that it may become the channel for Your wondrous power.  In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

God's Daily Promise

Promise #71:
Commit all that you do to Me and your plans will be successful.  

Proverbs 16:3 (WEB)
Commit your deeds to Yahweh,
and your plans shall succeed.