Is there anything too difficult for the Lord?

"Is there anything too difficult for the Lord?" 

 

Call to Worship:  Luke 1:26-38.

Law and Grace Reading:  Genesis 18:1-14

Bible reading:  Jeremiah 32:17-28

Benediction  Ephesians 3:19-21

 

 

Jeremiah 32:17; Philippians 4:13   The God Who Can Do Anything

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.  Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV)

God's Omnipotence:  God is all-powerful

 

1.  THE EXHIBITION OF GOD'S POWER

In Creation The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.  Psalm 19:1-2 (NLT)

In His Incarnation But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.1 Corinthians 1:24a (NLT)

 

2.  THE EXPERIENCE OF GOD'S POWER

What Can God's Power Do for Me? I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead…  Ephesians 1:19-20a NLT

 

a.  God give us power to conquer evil. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.  James 4:7-8 (NIV)

 

b.  God gives us power to live a holy life. As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life.  2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

 

c.  God gives us power to proclaim the gospel. So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. … I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me.  Colossians 1:28-29 (NLT)

 

d.  God give us power to fulfill His plan for our lives. By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

 

How Can I Appropriate God's Power?

Admit our weakness. My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness."  2 Corinthians 12:8 (NLT)

 

Believe God will give you His power. Everything is possible for him who believes.  Mark 9:23 (NIV)

 

Commit to act in faith. In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  James 2:17 NI

 

 

 

David Jeremiah writes:

A person's steps are directed by the Lord.   Proverbs 20:24, NIV
Let's start 2024 with Proverbs 20:24—one of the Bible's great verses about God's guidance. Sometimes we fret when a new year dawns because we don't know what's coming our way—either personally or globally. But our fretting is banished by our faith. The Bible promises that as we acknowledge God over all our ways and days, He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." Our days belong to the Lord—every hour, every second, every moment. And moment by moment we're kept in His care. Our gracious Heavenly Father knows the way He takes. He goes before us as an ever-caring God, and underneath are His everlasting arms.
As 2024 dawns, claim Proverbs 20:24, and know that God will direct your steps as you yield them to Him in believing obedience. There's no telling what blessings He has in store for you, and only the unfolding of the year will show you His great plan for the months ahead.
Daniel Whittle   Moment by moment I'm kept in His love. Moment by moment I've life from above. Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine; moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

 

Genesis 18:1-14

The title and theme of this study are suggested by the challenging question in Genesis 18:14. What is your answer to it? for this will reveal our estimate of the power of God and also the extent of our own faith in God.

In these days many of God's people are discouraged, despondent and filled with doubt. This ought not to be, for discouragement always comes from the Devil, despondency paralyses us for useful service and doubt dishonours the Lord. If encouragement is needed, however, here it is in this study! If our faith needs to be fortified, this meditation in God's Word will do the trick!

The circumstances in which the question, 'Is anything too hard for the Lord?' was asked, are brought before us in Genesis 15:1-6; 17:1-5; 15-19; 18:1-14; 21:1-8. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 – and look at Genesis 18:11. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for Sarah to bear a child. At first Abraham laughed at the idea (17:17), but afterwards Sarah laughed also (18:12) – and then it was that the Lord Himself said, 'Is anything too hard for the Lord'. Well, is anything…?

Consider the following five propositions; turn to all the scripture references given and see how God loves to do hard things.

1. There is no PROMISE too hard for the Lord to fulfil.

It is computed that in the Bible there are 30,000 promises, all of which 'are yes, and in Him Amen…' (2 Corinthians 1:20); that is, they are promises to the child of God – look up 2 Peter 1:4, and they are all absolutely sure – look up Numbers 23:19. Every promise that God has ever made will be fulfilled, and there is a promise to meet your very need. Notice three illustrations of 'hard things' that God promised and accomplished:

He promised that the walls of Jericho would fall, but that Rahab's dwelling on the wall and her family would be spared. This was indeed a hard thing – read Joshua 2:1-24; 6:1-25.

He promised to feed Elijah by ravens at Cherith and by a widow at Zarephath. This was a hard thing – read 1 Kings 17:2-16.

He promised that Mary would bring forth a son, though she was a virgin. This was a hard thing – Luke 1:26-38.

 

2. There is no PRAYER too hard for the Lord to answer.

One of the great prayer-promises in the Bible is Jeremiah 33:3, where the word 'unsearchable' may be translated 'hidden', 'fenced in', or 'hard'. The Lord loves to answer hard prayers – look up Matthew 17:20; John 16:23. In every situation and circumstance of life He invites us to pray, and He promises to answer our prayers.

What a hard thing it was, humanly speaking, to give Abraham and Sarah a child! Biologically it was impossible, yet their prayer was answered.

Read Genesis 24:1-67. How hard it was, humanly speaking, for Abraham's servant to find just the right bride for Isaac, yet God answered prayer by leading Eliezer to choose Rebekah!

Read 1 Kings 18:17-41. How hard it was, humanly speaking, for fire to fall upon the altar, but it was not too hard for the Lord, and Elijah's prayer was abundantly answered!

Ephesians 3:19  that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 

3. There is no PROBLEM too hard for the Lord to solve.

Possibly you have a problem which you have been trying to solve by yourself – and you have failed! Ask the Lord to solve it for you. He can and He will perform a miracle for you, if it is for His glory to do so. He is a miracle-working God, and nothing is too hard for Him. Look up the following, and see how His power was put forth in the solution of His people's problems.

He enabled them to pass through the Red Sea unharmed and on dry land – Exodus 14:13-31.

He solved the problem of the bitter water at Marah – Exodus 15:23-26.

He gave them water out of the rock – Exodus 17:5-7.

He turned the water into wine – John 2:1-11.

He stilled the storm – Mark 4:35-41.

He fed five thousand – Matthew 14:15-21.

He raised the dead – John 11:38-46.

What He did then He can do today! Have we so soon forgotten the miracle of Dunkirk, and other similar miracles in our day and generation? – and miracles that God has performed in our own lives?

 

4. There is no PLACE too hard for the Lord to revive.

We so quickly get discouraged in our work for the Lord. God's people are frequently heard to say, 'The work is very hard; it has gone down terribly, and it'll never be the same again!' But why should we accept this defeatist attitude when our God is the God of the impossible? Is your church 'a dying cause'? Does nothing seem to happen? Do no conversions take place? Do few gather for prayer? Why not alter this situation? Why don't YOU alter this situation? – for your can! Look up Isaiah 43:19 – 'Is anything too hard for the Lord'?

 

5. There is no PERSON too hard for the Lord to save.

Thank God, Hebrews 7:25 is still true – yet we frequently doubt God's ability to save people! We look upon certain cases as hard!

The woman who was a sinner was wonderfully saved by the Lord Jesus – Luke 7:36-50.

A condemned criminal was gloriously converted in his dying hour – Luke 23:39-43.

A persecutor was humbled to the dust by the sight of the risen Lord – Acts 9:1-7.

A jailer and his family were suddenly converted – Acts 16:25-34.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? What is your answer?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever been in a difficult situation and found yourself saying, "I can't do this anymore"? Have you ever wondered how you were going to handle the circumstances you've been dealt? Have you ever worried about how you were going to fix the problems in front of you that seemed impossible to solve? Well, the good news is, you are not without hope. There is nothing too difficult for the God of the Bible. He is the can-do God. His Word reminds us that all things are possible with Him. I want to give you four practical applications that you can take from this message and apply to your everyday life as you follow Christ. These four things will give you the confidence to face anything life throws at you and be victorious.

1. There Is No Promise So Big God Cannot Keep It

You don't have to worry about God being unable or unwilling to keep any promise. God doesn't change His mind. He says what He means and means what He says. When He says He will do something, He will do it, and He will do it every single time. There are going to be times when you find yourself in the middle of a dark and stormy night. You are going to be drowning in a sea of trouble. You are going to be facing waves so big you can't see any way over them. At that moment, you remember these things. God has already promised He will fulfill His plan for you, He will achieve his purpose for you, and He will work everything out for your good—and God always keeps His promises.

Luke 1

 

 

2. There Is No Prayer So Great God Cannot Answer It

One of the greatest statements about prayer I've ever heard is this: nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God. Anything that falls in line with the will of God is a done deal. It doesn't matter how big the request is. It doesn't matter how difficult it may seem for God to answer that prayer. God will answer that prayer! Now, there is one prayer that God cannot answer it is the prayer that is never prayed. After all, Scripture says you have not because you ask not. I believe if there is anything that frustrates God it is the unprayed prayers that we leave on the table that God would have answered had we just asked. So don't be scared or hesitant to offer your prayers up to Him. No prayer is too big, too great, or too intimidating to Him that He can't answer it!

 

3. There Is No Problem So Hard God Cannot Solve It

God never misses anything. God sees all things, hears all things, and knows all things. If God knows everything and God can do anything, then it stands to reason there is no problem so hard God cannot solve it. We all have problems. In fact, if you don't think you have any problems, that is your biggest problem. It's just a fact of life that we all have problems, and we all have at least one problem that only God can solve. And that is the problem of sin. God took sin, the greatest problem the human race has ever faced, and solved it in a cradle and on a cross. And if He can solve the greatest problem to ever face humanity, He can solve the problem that you're facing today. Nothing is out of His reach. He can help you through whatever trial, problem, or struggle you're dealing with.

 

4. There Is No Person So Sinful God Cannot Save Him All throughout Scripture we hear about people who devoted their lives to serving God and spreading the message of Christ. But also throughout the Bible, we hear about people who were evil and horrible. We read stories about the worst of the worst, the scum of the earth, the ones walking with the enemy. And yet, time and time again, we see how God redeemed them. We see God save those who at one point wanted nothing to do with Him. It is through these stories of history we can have hope that there is no person so sinful that God cannot save him or her. No matter what you've done, no matter how far gone you think you are, and no matter how many mistakes you've made, God can redeem your life. He can bring restoration. He can bring salvation. And He can bring sanctification to your life.

 

 

 

Proverbs 3: 5-6

The Bible is full of references to divine guidance and we have many instances when God guided His servants. He also gives many promises of His desire to guide, so this study is based on one such promise. There is no greater need in the life of a Christian than that of divine guidance, the reason being that life is full of choices; every day we have to make decisions and we simply do not know which is the right way to go, unless we turn to the Lord and ask for His help (Jeremiah 10:23). If you look at Proverbs 3:5-6 you will see that this promise is conditional; there are two parts – God's part and our part. God says to us, 'If you will do your part, I will do my part.' Let's consider the following:-
 

1. GODS PART: THE PROMISE OF DIVINE GUIDANCE

Notice how absolutely certain the promise is – "He will make your paths straight." Notice three things about this promise:-

1. It is the promise of a personally conducted tour through life. See how very personal this is – "he…your…" Nothing could be more personal than that. What an amazing thing it is that God Himself actually wants and offers to lead you right the way through your life and bring you safely to your journey's end. This is what He promises you in this one verse, and it is important to notice the word "straight". This reminds us of the fact that as we travel through life we are faced on every hand with confusion, and we are at a loss to know which is the right way (Proverbs 14:12); but God says He will guide us so that we do not take a wrong turning – look up Exodus 13:21-22 for an illustration of this, and compare Psalm 25:9.

2. It is the promise of guidance regarding every detail of life and for the whole of life. There is no limit in the promise before us. God says that if we will acknowledge Him He will direct us in all our paths until we reach the journey's end. Notice the significance of the word 'paths', which includes all the pathways along which we have to travel. Sometimes it is said that God does not guide His children in all the small details of life, that He's far too busy and cannot be concerned to help us in the ordinary matters which face us from day to day. This is not true! Whether we need guidance in the home, in business, with regard to our leisure times or our work, our friendships – all is important to the Lord. He longs to guide us in all the decisions we have to make.

3. It is the promise of guidance that is infallible. It is God Himself who has made this promise therefore it is divine guidance, and because it is divine it is infallible, unerring guidance – "He will make your paths straight." Parental guidance may be loving but it is never infallible because parents are fallible. God's guidance is never in any way subject to error or mistakes, and He cannot make a mistake because He is God. It isn't wrong to confer with flesh and blood (Galatians 1:16); but primarily we must confer with the Lord Himself because whatever man may advise it is liable to error, it is human. In contrast with this, God's guidance is faultless and we can therefore rely upon it. This is the promise that God makes to every one of His children.

 

2. OUR PART: THE CONDITION OF DIVINE GUIDANCE

What do we have to do to secure God's guidance? The Lord does not force His will upon us. He reveals it to us and offers to show us the way, but we may refuse to do His will and go along the pathway of His leading. What is the condition which we have to meet? It is indicated in the words "In all your ways acknowledge Him".

1. We must acknowledge Him. What does this mean? To find out the real meaning of these words we must look at verse 5, where we learn that to "acknowledge Him" means negatively: "lean not on your own understanding"; and positively: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart". To acknowledge the Lord really means to abandon any understanding of our own (Proverbs 3:7) – "Do not be wise in your own eyes" – and to trust in the Lord with all our hearts that He will give the needed guidance. The words "trust" and "lean" both mean the same thing, so the verse could read, 'Lean on the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding'; or, 'Trust God and don't trust at all in yourself!'

2. We must acknowledge Him in our ways (see verse 6 KJV). Here we place the emphasis upon the word "in". We are to acknowledge Him just where He has placed us, in every area of our lives; in health and affliction, when we are well and strong, and when we are tried and tested – compare Proverbs 3:11-12. There is no strain or stress in the life of the one who is guided in this way by the Lord – look up Isaiah 30:15.

3. We must acknowledge Him in ALL our ways. Here the emphasis is upon the word "all" in verse 5. We are to trust the Lord with all our heart and in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him; if and as we seek grace to do this we shall be guided by the Lord Himself.

"Lean on, trust and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind, and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognise and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths." (Amplified Bible)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

1. When was a time you saw God fulfill a promise in your life that you weren't sure He was going to keep?

2. Is there a prayer you've been holding back from praying because it seems too big or too out of reach for God to handle? If so, I challenge you to offer that prayer and request up to God right now.

3. What is a problem that was impossible to solve that God came through on and solved for you? What did you learn from that situation?