Facing The Impossible

A man walking along a California beach was deep in prayer. All of a sudden, he said out loud, "Lord, grant me one wish."

The sunny California sky clouded above his head and in a booming voice, and the Lord said, "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."

The man said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over anytime I want."

The Lord said, "Your request is very materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take over thousands of miles! I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of another wish, a wish you think would honor and glorify me."

The man thought about it for a long time. Finally he said, "Lord, I wish that I could understand women. I want to know how they feel inside, what they are thinking when they give the silent treatment, why they cry, what they mean when they say " nothing!", and how I can make a woman truly happy."

The Lord replied, "You want two lanes or four lanes on that bridge!

That made me laugh. I don’t find it a bit hard to understand women and what it takes to make us happy…but I’m sure most of you men out there would disagree. In fact…some would think it impossible!

But all joking aside, I want you to think this evening about situations in life that seem impossible. Maybe you’re facing some of them now.

Perhaps you’ve lost a job and finances aren’t what they need to be.

Or…perhaps you have a job, but there’s just not enough money to cover emergencies when they crop up…

Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a disease and it seems like there’s no hope in sight.

Do you have a child who’s not saved? Perhaps it’s a brother, or a sister. How about a mother or father – or even a spouse? You’ve prayed for years and nothing has happened. Salvation for them seems next to impossible.

Perhaps it’s you that sits here today unsaved. You’ve been coming to church – maybe even for years. Maybe the whole church thinks you’re a Christian – but you know in your heart you’re not.

You just haven’t reached that point yet. You’ve listened to sermon after sermon…sang song after song…and yet it’s never happened. You’ve never really admitted your sins – and your own need for a Savior. It seems like it’s never going to happen. It seems…next to impossible.

Maybe it’s something else. Maybe you are sitting here all alone because the man or woman you were married to walked out on you after years of what you thought was a good marriage. And you’re left with the sole responsibility of raising your children. Does a secure future seem impossible?

Or maybe you’re sitting here alone not because your spouse walked out – but because they were taken from you in death. You’ll never hear their voice again…feel the brush of their hand against yours…Can you ever find joy again – or is it impossible?

Maybe you’re still with your spouse. But you’re stuck in a loveless relationship. Maybe even an abusive one. How in the world can your situation change?

Is it impossible to imagine light at the end of tunnel?

Most of us have faced these or similar situations in our lives. If we haven’t…chances are…one day we will. And when we do find ourselves facing the impossible – I want you to know one thing:

With God nothing is impossible.

Turn with me to Ezekiel, Chapter 37 beginning with verse 1.

I know many of you are familiar with this passage. In it we find the prophet Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones.

1 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”

4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’”