Possibilities

Possibilities 
Faith IS!
Terry R. Baughman

“Jesus said to him, ‘What do you mean—if? If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believer’” (Mark 9:23 TPT).

There are endless possibilities through faith in God. As a matter of fact, Luke wrote, “For with God nothing will be impossible!” (Luke 1:37 NKJ). That is an amazing concept, just to think that there are no limits to God’s ability and nothing He does not have the power to do. Paul said we can pray with the assurance that God is able to do, “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).

We often categorize things that are easy, hard, more difficult, and some that are impossible to accomplish. Within our own power those distinctions are definitely warranted. However, we err when we place the same restrictions on God’s activity in earth. There is just one category with God … POSSIBLE! Headache? Healing possible! Disappointed? Encouragement possible! Back pain? Relief possible! Marriage conflict? reconciliation possible! 

What about those really big, seemingly impossible, things? Kidney failure, terminal cancer, heart malfunction, and type one diabetes may all find a spot on our impossible list. However, with God nothing is on His impossible list. Nothing is more difficult than something else. All things are on His list of possibilities. 

Just because something is possible, doesn’t mean that it is also His purpose. Some miracles are planned for His purpose and His glory. Other times God says, “Wait,” or “Not yet,”  or “trust me!” That’s where we may find ourselves questioning, “Why?” Our greatest challenge is finding the difference between possibility and purpose, between faith and trust. We may have faith for a miracle, but can we trust Him when there is no miracle? We may have great expectation for what is possible, but struggle to discover His purpose when the possible is not performed. 

Trust, is believing in God even when the miracle doesn’t happen; knowing God can, even when He doesn’t. Jesus faced this very paradox in His most trying hour. As He spent the night in prayer before His arrest, trial and crucifixion. He prayed intensely that He might avoid this gruesome death, “if it were possible.” In humanity He prayed with the certain knowledge of God’s omnipotence, “Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:35-36 NKJ). Jesus knew all things were possible, but ultimately He surrendered to the Spirit’s purpose, “not what I will, but what You will.”

Can we pray the nevertheless prayer? We may voice our desire, but will we surrender to His divine purpose when we do not see the desired outcome. That is the ultimate faith, believing in One we cannot see and trusting in a plan we cannot know. As the classic Fanny J Crosby hymn, Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus, concludes, “O for grace to trust Him more!” 

The possibilities are limitless and we should have the conviction that God can do anything. Ultimately, we must simply trust that He does all things well and His purpose is greater than our wishlist prayer list. Faith is … trusting God through it all! 
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Theme passage:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NKJ).
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