Nothing is impossible ... with God!

With God, Nothing is Impossible!

just ask these three people...

Listen to this podcast here:  https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/3224539e/nothing-is-imp...

Before you read the scripture passage, just a few thoughts.

Sometimes in life, we need God to come and do the difficult- 

God loves to do the difficult thing in our lives

when we are trusting him ~ for nothing is difficult for him.

I think of David's words

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.1

Sometimes we need God to do the impossible~

then he does . . . and he blows our minds.

In this familiar story of Christmas, God does the difficult in Elizabeth's life -

she is old, well past child-bearing years, but always longed deeply for a child.

God gives her that child... John. 

We know him as John the Baptist.

God speaks to Joseph through an angel to tell him that his betrothed, Mary, is going to have a baby, but not just any baby, and he should marry her.

Talk about difficult! Yet he obeys God in the difficult.

And then there's Mary, there's Jesus . . . 

God does the impossible

sending the perfect Son of God to be born of a virgin, Mary.

Crazy, impossible, supernatural . . . only God.

Take 5 minutes to read their stories:

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.  Luke 1.26-38

"Ave, Maria," the Latin term the angel Gabriel used meant "Greetings, Mary".  A young virgin, Mary, is told, 'you are going to have a son--a holy son--the one and only Son of God. You are highly esteemed by God, and this is how it will happen . . . "

Listen carefully to the angel's concluding comment to Mary - it was powerful then, equally powerful today. Maybe you need to hear this today: Nothing is impossible with God.  May I ask you--what just seems--well, impossible in your life?! What is the mountain that you need moved?  What are the impossible odds you are facing? Take heart!  Trust God.                     

 After asking, 'but how could this be?' Don't miss Mary's soulful response, "I am the Lord's servant, May it be to me as you have said." She was so very young, and already so full of faith, trusting God's goodness. She did not have many answers about what lay ahead, but the way was sure to be filled with difficulties. . . yet she believed. Maybe Jesus was thinking of her when he said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."2   I wonder if I would have submitted as easily as Mary. . . would you?

Soon after the angelic announcement,  Mary traveled to the home of her cousin 

Elizabeth in Judea. God surely led her to be with another who was also living the miraculous! Elizabeth spoke these words of affirmation to Mary, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear. . . Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"3   Mary's heart was filled to overflowing with gratefulness, and she was moved to sing praises to God (which we will examine). How right, how good it is to praise God, especially when we experience a touch of the divine.

After spending time with Elizabeth, and experiencing the birth of her nephew, (which surely proved informational), Mary returned to Nazareth. She was going to have to tell her family that she was expecting a child, though not just any child . . . how could they possibly understand?  Surely they would not believe her.  What difficulty and shame they would face in the little town of Nazareth. And how about Joseph--what would he have to say about the condition of his betrothed? He could have her stoned by Jewish law. But as Matthew records in his gospel, Joseph had also been visited by an angel in a dream, who told him not to be afraid "to take Mary as his wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."4

Joseph obeyed, and took Mary as his wife.

So, if nothing is impossible with God, with what do you need to trust him? I am endeavoring to learn from these three people of long ago; how inspirational is their obedient trust in God.

Three faith-filled people--Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary. Each trusted God to do what he said he would do.

All is Well - I pray you can sing along: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thotoEXt42E

Christine

PastorWoman.net

1) Psalm 37.4

2) John 20.29    

3) Luke 1.42-45

4) Matthew 1.20-21