Are you wondering if God is able? If so, you aren’t the first person to ask the question. If we’re honest with ourselves, we probably all have.
When Abraham’s wife Sarah laughed at the idea of having a child in her old age, the Bible says that the LORD asked Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14)
And, after a wakeful night, King Darius cried into the lion’s den, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20)
In the Bible, we can read the other sides of Abraham and Daniel’s stories. We know their outcomes. Sarah gave birth to Isaac, and yes, Daniel was rescued from the lions.
But pause for a moment and consider those tense moments before these heroes of the faith knew how God was going to act on their behalf. Abraham was advanced in years, and “the way of women had ceased to be with Sarah” (Genesis 18:11). Daniel was surrounded by ravenous beasts. Without God’s intervention, they were faced with impossibilities.
Then think about your own circumstances at work and church, in your home and in your family. Consider those problems that seem to have no solutions, the strained relationships, and the circumstances beyond your control.
Is God able?
The simple answer is yes. God is able.
Abraham learned that nothing is too hard for the LORD.
Daniel discovered that the living God is able to deliver.
This doesn’t mean that God will necessarily act the way we want or according to our plans. Nor does it imply that he will deliver us from a particular hardship when or how we would like. But one thing is certain: God is able.
If he wills, he can. We aren’t talking about a wimpy God. He doesn’t say “if only” or “I wish I could.”
Yes, God is able.
Knowing this truth, we can pray in faith that God’s will be done, fully assured that he is able to accomplish all his will. And we are called to trust his love and wisdom, even when he chooses to act differently than we desire. For if God chooses a different time or way, it isn’t because of some incapability on his part but because he knows better and loves more than to answer in a way that is less than his best for his children.
Katie Faris 