Nothing is Too Difficult for Thee!
Reflective Reading: Jeremiah 32
This morning for staff devotions we went over a particularly inspiring passage where the Lord tells Jeremiah to buy a parcel of land in Israel. On the surface this doesn’t seem to raise much concern, but the purchase of this property is going to get the prophet in a lot of hot water! The problem with buying property at this time is that a foreign nation is about to come and destroy their land. So why would anyone want to buy land when, within a few weeks, it will be worth nothing?
Following God when things don’t make sense requires faith and trust. The only thing that Jeremiah has to hold onto in signing this deal is God’s promise that his property will be blessed in the future.
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.” (Jeremiah 32:15)
With that promise, Jeremiah offers up the following prayer of praise with confidence,
“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too difficult for thee.” (Jeremiah 32:17)
That verse came alive to me last week as I was facing some insurmountable circumstances. My team and I were traveling back from a conference in Minnesota. I was set to fly to another conference in Virginia, but little did we know that the Lord had other plans—very unusual ones!
In a crazy turn of events, while in Minnesota, I started to lose vision in my left eye. At first it was only a little blurry, but each day it worsened. It started to feel like I was looking out of a rain-soaked windshield. Having been quite healthy most of my life, I was hoping that the problem would soon resolve. But it didn’t. It was time to call my doctor.
After consulting with him, I realized that I needed to get to the Eye Institute as soon as possible. Thankfully, they were able to schedule an appointment for me the next day.
But there was one huge problem. Flights were being delayed and canceled. My flight to Virginia for the other conference was canceled due to a hurricane coming up the coast. Was God preventing me from speaking at this conference so that I could make my eye appointment? I wondered.
With one delay after another, there was no way I’d make a connection to New York. So, what do you do when facing insurmountable circumstances? Pray! If the God of the universe can do anything, as Jeremiah prayed, then this was a time that I needed His help—“God, I believe that there is nothing too difficult for you!”
After a series of delays, cancellations, circling, lost luggage, and other curveballs, I finally made it to Chicago. I was half way home. To my knowledge, all other flights were canceled and I would have to stay the night at the airport. But when I landed, I received a host of text messages that said my connecting flight (which I thought I had missed) was delayed for three hours and I could still make it, but,—but I only had ten minutes before the doors would be shut. The distance from my gate to the new flight was a mile and a half! Apparently, God had included exercise in this assignment! If you could have seen me running through the Chicago airport with a blurry eye and expectant hope, you would have thought my clothes were on fire!
Unbeknownst to me, the gate I would need to make, had already been changed three times. The final gate was positioned right at the top of the escalator where I would arrive. Only God! Throughout all the difficulties and uncertainties, God demonstrated that there is nothing is too difficult for Him!
In Jeremiah 32:26 we read,
“Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too difficult for me?” (Jeremiah 32:26)
My answer is an emphatic “No!” The God of Israel, and the God of Jeremiah, is my God today, and to those who trust in Him, He says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).
Indeed, God is the God of the impossible and truly, nothing is too difficult for Him!
Long story short, I was able to make my appointment at the Eye Institute. The doctor found that I had broken a blood vessel behind the retina. You don’t want to know the details of the procedure, but what he did probably saved my eyesight. He said within the next few months, after a few more treatments, I should be able to get back 90% of my vision. Praise God!
But wait, there’s more (this is the best part). When the nurse was just about to apply the numbing solution to prepare for the procedure, she said, “You don’t look scared.” I told her I wasn’t scared and then one of my staff contacted me. On the phone, she said, “We’re praying for you”—“God’s got this!” Then something wonderful happened. The nurse overheard this conversation and said, “So that’s why you’re not afraid. You have God in your life!”
I told her, yes, that was indeed the reason, and she asked, “How can I have God in my life?” What I said next was so beautiful it could only have been from God. The gospel came alive! It even sounded poetic. This young nurse started to weep (and went through three pairs of gloves just to remain sterile!). She had her back to me and didn’t want me to know she was crying. I let her know that it was okay, and that God wanted her to be His daughter. She continued to sob. She said, “If the doctor sees me like this he’s going to be so upset.” I told her not to worry because I would tell the doctor I punched her in the eye by mistake! We both laughed.
After she regained her composure, I shared how much God loved her. The seed of salvation was sown. I then shared how Satan will undoubtedly come and try to destroy the seed that was sown and that she needed to call upon God for help—“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
The doctor walked in, did the procedure, and the rest is a reminder that my God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do.
What an amazing God we serve!
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.
Recommended Reading:
Jessica’s First Prayer (Ages 6+)
Buried in the Snow book/audio (Ages 9+)
Tip Lewis and His Lamp (Ages 9+)
House of Love (Ages 9+)
