A Picture of God’s Greatness
Isaac’s birth was a picture of God’s greatness. When God promised Abraham’s wife Sarah a son in her old age, she struggled to believe that God could do something so illogical. When she finally has Isaac, we read: “Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”” (Genesis 21:5-7 NIV11)
Who would have thought this was possible? People having children at 100 years old? But God made it happen. And God can do the impossible again.
The God of the Impossible
There’s an old country gospel song which goes:
Time after time I hear people say to me
Why don't we see miracles like there used to be?
I still believe in miracles, God listens when we pray
God was God back yesterday and God is God today
God can do it again and again and again
He's the same God today as He always has been
Yesterday, now, forever He's always the same
There's no reason to doubt God can do it again
I always loved that! The Bible is a history book of God doing the impossible time and again.
Miracles in the Midst of Hardship
But be reminded that God’s greatness is not always pictured in great magnificent miracles. In fact often times, the more amazing picture of God’s greatness is when he helps you through a terrible time instead of just stopping it.
Sometimes the miracle God does is to change your situation – to remove the tumour, to do the impossible! But other times the miracle God does is to sustain you through a tough situation – and that is no less a miracle.
Think about the Apostle Paul, for a second. This was a man who went through incredible hardships. He was flogged and beaten with rods for his faith. He often went without sleep, without food, without clothes. He endured shipwrecks, and had a bounty on his head so he had to be on the move constantly. His life was not a picture of God’s miraculous healing and easing of pain.
But he writes this: “He (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV11)
What a picture of God’s greatness! Enduring difficulty and hardship and persecution with delight because then God’s power could be shown.
Strength Made Perfect in Weakness
How has your life been a picture of God’s greatness? Has he done wondrous miracles for you? Praise God – He is great! Has he sustained you through awful hardships and difficulties? Praise God – He is great!
God can do the impossible, even if that ‘impossible’ is you walking a painful road with delight because you want to showcase your Maker’s goodness in the face of your pain.
