Abraham's Test - Part 3

by Dr. Ken Matto

(Heb 11:11 KJV) Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

In today’s verse we read the third of the faith tests that Abraham had to go through. This faith test we could call the “test of the impossible.” God had promised that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars of Heaven and the sands of the seashore. However, we read about the second faith test was the “test of delay.” Abraham was now getting older and the ability of both he and Sarah to conceive a child was now getting to the point of the impossible. Abraham was nearing 100 and Sarah was nearing 90. From a human standpoint it was now impossible for Abraham and Sarah to have a child. However, from God’s point of view the impossible is always possible. (Luke 18:27 KJV) And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. We read of other impossible situations where God made His children victorious. We read about Joshua and the walls of Jericho which would have been an impossible target unless the Lord brought them down. In 2 Chronicles 20, we see the nations of Ammon and Moab come against Jehoshaphat, unless the Lord would have fought the battle, there would have been much destruction. What about the raising of Lazarus? No mere mortal can raise the dead for this is an impossible feat but the Lord Jesus comes on the scene and instead of Lazarus becoming healed, he is resurrected.

These narratives are not in the Bible just as cute stories or good reading, they are there to remind and encourage the Christian that God is still the God of the impossible. We face many situations beyond our control and we think we are in impossible circumstances. We need to realize that impossible circumstances for us is possible circumstances for God. He designs situations for us to be right in the middle of, so He can show us and remind us of His love and care for us. There is no such word in God’s vocabulary as impossible, except in one area. (Heb 6:18 KJV) That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: We must always keep in mind that God does not sin nor does He toy with us. The situations that we find ourselves in are there to train us, and sometimes it is to prepare us for something else which we might face or one of our family or friends might face in the future. Whenever we face an impossible task, we must always remember that God never leaves us nor does He forsake us. As He is with us in good times, He is especially with us in those times where our faith is challenged. Thank Him today that you serve the God of the impossible.  (3/28/03)