Daily Jewel

by Pastor Caarnell, McAlester, OK

"The God of the Possible"
I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you Hope and a Future…” – Jeremiah 29:11

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." -Luke 1:35-37

A television interviewer was walking streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Much as in America, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?" Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?" There may be some truth in her answer.
I have a theory as to why Christmas is as popular as it is; (certainly not for religious reasons/the current “holiday” controversy), that if for no other reason, it is the chance for many to escape the “realities” of life for a while! So many people often refer to the birth of Christ as a “story!” It’s as if it were a Dr. Seuss book or something from Aesop’s Fables or Mother Goose. Perhaps, in the back of their minds is this thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if it were only true?” And so the result is that the Gospel is nothing more than just a nice spiritual “placebo” to help them, if only for a brief time, give their lives some hope and joy!
I, However, Serve a Bigger GOD Than Just a Story!! I Serve The God of the POSSIBLE!!! In the passage from Luke, we find the archangel Gabriel trying to reassure (a very frightened young) Mary that what was to be happening within her was for God's purpose! (Remember this—God has a plan!) And what Gabriel reveals to her is a great truth that we need to put into practice for ourselves: Great things are possible (even probable) when we are working with Jesus!! For a long time I have either misread or misunderstood the last part of verse 37: “Nothing is impossible [with] God.” The word with, gives more power to the meaning of this verse. It may be easier to say, and perhaps believe, that there is nothing impossible for God, which is probably how most of us see the meaning. The reason why I think that verse would be easier to believe (if it is said that way) is because it removes the “personal” relationship aspect out of it! (Does that make sense?)
But the word, WITH carries with it a personal attachment to the situation. (Look at the sentence just above where the angel refers to Elizabeth.) What had previously been thought impossible for Elizabeth, became possible because the living God had attached Himself to the situation!!
Do you need the “God of the Possible” for a particular situation in your life today? He will make Himself available in ways that may be beyond our thinking. But that is when God is at His best—when He is truly God!
Pastor J. T. Carnell