Nothing is impossible, if you believe
Mark 9:23 “23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” mpossible things happen to those who believe they can happen. The Bible is full of the accounts of real people who were able to rise from the ashes of defeat or from completely insignificant backgrounds to make a success out their lives. We have examples of people who achieved impossible feats and commanded great results in their lives despite the odds that were against them. A virgin conceived against normal physiological principles. Sarah delivered Isaac at the age of 90; twice the age of menopause. Daniel survived the lions den. Joseph survived the most vicious household enemy conspiracy, slavery and prison to become Prime Minister in a foreign land. What are the odds against you? What are your dreams? Do you feel they are impossible? No; to him that believes, all things are possible!
If you are to succeed, it is pertinent to look at the lives of people who broke through impossible barriers to achieve their God-given goals. YOUR STORY IS ABOUT TO CHANGE!
ILESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM
The first person we are going to be looking at is the patriarch Abraham. Up to this point, God and Abraham had no recorded interaction with each other. God comes to him Genesis 12:1 and tells him to go to a land that God will show him. In other words, start walking and then I will tell you where you are going.
What was Abraham’s response to this command from the Lord? Verse 4 tells us “So Abram left, as the LORD told him.” With the promise of blessing and the trust that God will somehow lead him, he left comfort, family and familiarity for a land 700 miles from home.
In the same visitation, God promised Abraham children through his wife Sarah but it took 25 years for that promise to be fulfilled. At an incredible age, Sarah conceived and bore Isaac.
Gen 21:1-7. The impossible had become possible. Matt 19:26,“26But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.”
1. A late starter can become a very huge success. Called at the age of 75, Abraham became a very huge success. Hear the testimony of Abraham’s servant; Gen 24:35, “And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.”
2. It is possible to remedy a completely hopeless situation.
3. It is possible to endure and survive a difficult and long lasting challenge. If you wait long enough, you will see your dreams come true. Our vision tends to lose its intensity and begin to slip from us the longer it delays.
Dreams become reality. God gave him a dream, a picture of becoming the father of nations even when his marriage had not produced any children and all hopes were slipping away. Picture yourself vividly as winning and that alone will contribute immeasurably to success. Great living starts with a picture, held in your imagination, of what you would like to do or be.
Sarah became the first menopausal woman to conceive and give birth to a live baby and he came without deformity. If the vision is from God, you can do what no one else has done before. It is possible to walk with God even with all your flaws, and succeed. Reasons for Abraham’s success Abraham’s success with God is hinged on three major things: his obedience, his giving and his faith.
1. His obedience: His respect for God, his love and trust in God was demonstrated in his obedience. Obedience is a function of respect.
2. His generosity. Giving is a function of love.
3. Faith is a function of trust. He moved from respect to love. You begin by obeying God because you respect and honour Him. To honour means His word carries weight with you. You cannot say you honour God while you are disregarding his word. And as you walk with him, you grow to love and trust him. Now you obey Him because you love Him. And because you love Him, there is nothing you will consider too big to give to Him. That was the reason Abraham did not hesitate to offer Isaac to God when he was asked to do so until God stopped him. This was how God interpreted Abraham’s act of obedience: “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said.”Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you have RESPECT for God. You have not held back from me your son, your only son.” Gen 22:12 (NIRV)
(TEV) “Don’t hurt the boy or do anything to him,” he said. “Now I know that you HONOR and OBEY God, because you have not kept back your only son from him.”
Abraham’s faith grew as he continued to walk with God. He struggled with believing God for a child through his wife Sarah but God continued to work on his faith until he became fully persuaded that it was possible. Rom 4:19-21, “19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
You can achieve your goals when you decide to believe God. When you believe God to the point of no return, miracles are guaranteed. Abraham did not receive the miracle of Isaac until he became ‘fully persuaded’.
Hang on to the promise of God for as long as possible, your miracle will certainly come. That precious baby will come. Your business will pick up; you will get married and have children. You will soon begin to celebrate your breakthrough in Jesus name!
Rev (Dr) Olowojoba is Snr. Pastor of Dayspring Bible Church, Sabon-Lugbe, Abuja & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l. e.mail: dayspringcm2000@ yahoo.com after the troubling of the water to step in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. There was a man there who had been crippled for thirty eight years. When Jesus saw him, he asked him, “Do you want to be healed”? The man answered, Sir, I have no one to put me inside the pool when the water is troubled. Each time I want to enter the pool, another stronger person steps down before me. Jesus said to him, take up your mat and walk (John 5, 2-8).
Here I think of so many qualified Nigerians who are helpless and jobless just because they do not have an influential person to push them into the pool of the labour industry. This is the time to return to God in prayer. Jesus says, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” Those who believe will experience in their innermost being the flow of living water like a river (John 7, 38-39). Isaiah prophesied: “With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12, 3). He said, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants (Isaiah 44, 3). God invites us: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come; buy wine and milk without money and without cost (Isaiah 55, 1). Fr. Professor Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City (comonokhua@hotmail.com).