Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Doing Nothing Without God
We cannot really do anything substantial and of lasting value without God (John 15:5) and nothing does not mean a little something. If we think we can really do anything apart from God we are deceiving ourselves. If we even think we’re something without God we are really nothing, again we are deceiving ourselves (Gal 6:3). If we do what Jesus asks us to do then our prayers are more likely to be answered (John 15:15) so we can’t do much through our prayers until we do much for the One Who we pray too. We cannot even please God without faith (Heb 11:6) but even our faith is a gift from God and there is no way we can work for that or brag about it (Eph 2:8-9). Salvation is fully a work of God and what is humanly impossible is nothing to God. The only thing that we can possibly do well is to sin to the nth degree (Gen 11:6).
Doing All Things Through Christ
We have already read that we can’t do anything without God but the opposite is also true; we can do all things through Christ but only by His strengthening us (Phil 4:13). Even our daily struggles and the titanic battles we go through we don’t go through them alone because God is really the One Who fights for us (2 Chro 20:15). If we even try to help God in any way we’ll stumble because God doesn’t need our help and by God’s bringing us the victory, He is more glorified. One of the things God cannot do is lie (Heb 6:18) but that’s only because it’s against His very nature of being holy. We can move the proverbial mountains but it takes faith and again, this faith is not in us but is from God.
Our Source of Strength
As we have read, we have no strength apart from Christ do to anything of consequence. There were times during Paul’s many struggles and suffering that he felt he had no strength to go on (2 Cor 1:8) so we must trust God like he did as our source of strength when we are weak and faint-hearted (Isaiah 40:29). Paul acknowledged the fact that his strength came from God (1 Tim 1:12) and even when everyone had abandoned him, Jesus never did and strengthened Paul during the last few hours or days of his life (2 Tim 4:17). I can’t even serve or minister to the church without God’s giving me the strength to do so (1 Pet 4:11). Churches are much like people and sometimes grow weary and must be strengthened in their faith by God, particularly when membership grows rapidly (Acts 16:5). Is there anything really impossible if we rely on God and His strength?
A Closing Prayer
Glorious, Righteous Father, I can do nothing in my own strength but by Your strength alone can I do anything. Please help me rely on Your strength because mine is insufficient and in this way You’ll be glorified and in Jesus Mighty Name I pray.
Amen
Republished by Blog Post Promoter
