35 An Encouraging Question

An Encouraging Question "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"Genesis 18:14

We must meet with difficulties in our walk and in our work; they are intended to try us — but they often discourage us. Sometimes they appear so great, at other times we come upon them so suddenly — that before we are aware, we are dejected and cast down. We look at them, and then at our own strength — instead of looking immediately to the Lord.

God’s promises are intended to support us in trials, and to strengthen our hearts in the day of adversity. It is not for us to ask, "How can this thing be?" but to look up and ask, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

Believer, there is nothing too hard for your God to accomplish — no change in providence, however it may appear improbable or impossible to you. He can give water in the wilderness, and bread in the desert. All creatures are his servants, and he can as easily feed us by ravens — as by his intelligent creatures. In the midst of the greatest scarcity, he can send an unexpected plenty — as he did to Samaria in the days of old. He can supply all your needs — and if living upon his Word, and walking in his way, he will. No work of grace is too hard for the Lord. He can break the hardest heart — the heart that has withstood the preacher’s pleading, the father’s entreaties, and the mother’s tears. By the sweet and gentle influences of his Spirit — he can soften, sanctify, and entirely subdue it. Do not, therefore, give up any case as desperate. Say not, that your child has withstood so much and so long, that the case is hopeless. Continue to take the case to the Lord, plead with him as if pleading for your life, and rest your faith on this — nothing is too hard for the Lord. The stubbornest will — he can bow. It may withstand all human efforts, it may appear to grow more determined in the service of Satan and sin, you may be tempted to exclaim, "There is no hope!" But there is hope. Yield not to temptation. Listen not to the great deceiver — but ply the means, call upon God, and urge the fact, "Nothing is to hard for the Lord."

He can enlighten the darkest intellect. Though it is almost as feeble the intellect of the idiot, and is wrapped in the thickest gloom of ignorance and prejudice; He who commanded light to shine out of darkness at first — can shine into it, and give the light of the knowledge of his glory in the person of Jesus Christ. Let no discouraging circumstance daunt you — but set your heart upon the salvation of the benighted — for there is nothing too hard for the Lord.

He can warm the coldest professor. Oh, how cold and inanimate some professors are! One might almost imagine that they were reared in Greenland, or educated in an ice-house. There is no sparkling eye, no encouraging voice, no outstretched hand — but, like a well-dressed corpse, they occupy their place in the Church. But shall we despair of doing them good, or of seeing them raised to a better state? Oh no, they may yet become loving, communicative, and active, for there is nothing too hard for the Lord.

He can fructify the most unfruitful Church. In what a cold, lifeless, and barren state many of our Churches are. Preaching to them, is like ploughing on a rock, or sowing on sea-sand. Nothing appears to make any beneficial impression, they "swallow up loads of wholesome instructions," and yet are none the better. What shall we do? Pronounce the case hopeless! No, it may be hopeless as far as man is concerned — but there is nothing too hard for the Lord. He can make the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field a forest.

He can cultivate the most barren neighborhood. Some places are like the sandy desert, and it appears but lost labor to plough and sow and expect a crop. There is no spirit of hearing, no concern about eternal things — but every one turns to his course, as the horse rushes into the battle. To labor on such a spot is very trying, and no wonder if we are tempted to give up, or if we yield to the temptation. But this is wrong. What was Jerusalem before the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, though it had been favored with the ministry of John, of Jesus, of the seventy disciples, and the twelve apostles? Was it not a barren spot?

Care and prayer, industry and faith, can perform wonders! The hand of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear; and he speaks to, and asks the question of you, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27.) He can use the weakest instrument successfully. His servants have done so in his strength. Think of Moses with the rod of God — of Shamgar with the ox-goad — of Samson with the jawbone of an ass — of the fishermen of Galilee, with that gospel which was called foolishness by men.

Reader, God can use you — even if you have but one talent. He often uses the most unlikely instruments, that the excellency of the power may be evidently of God and not of man. If it is God’s instrument, if it is used for God’s glory in God’s strength — it will accomplish that which he pleases, and prosper in the thing whereunto he sends it, for there is nothing too hard for the Lord.

See, then,

1. To whom we must look. Not to creatures, for many things are too hard for them — but to the Lord, who can accomplish all his pleasure, and accomplish it with perfect ease.

2. The unchangeable source of encouragement which is opened to us. The Lord, who sends us to work, who goes with us — knows nothing of impossibilities — and when we doubt, or start back through unbelief, he asks, "Is anything too hard for me?"

3. To what we must appeal. The power of God. The power of God, which is made perfect in our weakness. The power of God, to which all things must bow.

4. Of what we should beware. Limiting the Holy One of Israel. This was Israel’s sin. Let us see to it that it is not ours.

5. On what we should fix our faith. The Word of the all-powerful God.

6. With what we should feed our hope. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Beloved, we cannot ask God to do greater things than he has done — and we cannot expect more from him than he is able to bestow; let us, therefore . . .
study his Word,
walk in his fear,
work in his cause,
trust in his promise,
expect to realize success, and
silence all our fears, by the assurance that there is nothing too hard for the Lord.