Thursday, October 7, 2010

The IMPOSSIBLE.

Have you ever noticed that when Jesus issues a call or a command that it is usually for an impossible thing? There are dozens of examples of this but a few that come to mind are, when Jesus approaches some fishermen on the shore (the same ones who will become His disciples and closest friends) and says, "Leave your nets and follow me." Now this was their lifelong profession, this is how they made their living. Leaving their nets and possessions meant, giving up their job, income, and life as they knew it. They couldn't possibly leave, how will they make a living? What about their Thursday nights bingo club? Plus the guys on the bowling league were counting on them to be there, what would they do without them?

Or what about when a few of the disciples are out to sea and a raging storm is upon them and Jesus shows up walking across the water. At this point Jesus commands Peter to walk out to Him. WHAT! Me, walk across the water, yeah right - IMPOSSIBLE! Don't you know there are big sharks out there? Haven't you seen JAWS??

A third example that comes to mind takes place at the pool of Bethesda. Now the background here is that this is a body of water in which the sick/ lame reside around in constant waiting because it is a place of healing. However, the catch is that the water only periodically becomes stirred and ONLY the FIRST person to make it in the water when it becomes stirred will be healed. So Jesus shows up on the scene and you have a invalid man laying there. Now this man had been an invalid for 38 years and he has a real problem; He can't get to the water without someone to help him. Even if he had help, it would be highly unlikely that in the mad rush to be the first to the water that someone could get him there first. So he just resides on this porch day after day, year after year. Jesus says to the man, "Get up and pick up your mat and walk!" Yeah, OK Homie, whatever you say. Do you think if that were possible that I would be lying around for 38 years?

I use a little humor in my examples but the truth is that sometimes our arguments of why we can't seem just as silly to God. In each of these examples along with many, many more, the impossible is accomplished through faith in Christ.

A call to uproot and go into church planting seems to be an impossible command for my family. I mean, our children are settled into their schools and routines, I own a company that is just finally becoming established here locally, Maria has signed a 2 year contract at work, we have a house that would need to be sold in one of the worst housing markets in history, and the list goes on. Yet, looking back on those examples given to us in God's Word, gives us a peace that God will handle the impossible. He will work out those details to fulfill His purpose in us.

When we are faced with an impossible call from God we have two choices. We can try to argue with finite logic, or we can choose to trust infinite God and step out in the faith that Jesus spent so much time talking and teaching about. How different the story would have been for these folks in the examples had they said no to Him. The disciples would have been lost fisherman their entire lives, and the man at the pool of Bethesda would have very likely died on the porch next to the very pool that he longed to make it to healing waters of.

Please pray for both the Scott family and ours that God will start to move these impossible blocks from our paths so that we can not only be able to do His work, but so that we can also give Him credit and praise for something only He could accomplish.

Much blessings and respect,

The Harmons.

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