Is anything too difficult for the Lord?

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Scripture

“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
(Genesis 18:14 NASB)
They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.
(Genesis 19:11 NASB)
Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
(Genesis 19:14 NASB)

Observation

In these Genesis passages we find, again and again, God's attempt to draw his beloved humanity towards him. He fulfills his promise to Abraham and Sarah. He tries desperately to save Lot, which proves to be a challenging case. There were times in the former Soviet Union that we used to say that trying to help people was something like a reverse mugging. Please, beat me up and steal from me so that I can help you :) Here the angels of God try to save Lot and his household. They perform a miracle, blinding the eyes of the men who were ravenous with their fleshly lustings. Lots solution to the problem was rather despicable. He was willing to give his daughters away -- rather than trust in God. Then, he tries to save the young men who are betrothed to his daughters. They, quite obviously, were not followers of God, and yet, Lot was willing to give his daughters to them. They figured that Lot was just joking and so we can only assume that they were burned up with all of Sodom and Gomorrah. All along the way faith was tested, for they really did not believe that with God all things were possible!

Application

It's so easy to be critical of the responses of Sarah, Lot, the son-in-laws and the rest of society. How in the world could they not have believed that God would intervene and provide a miraculous response? He had promised, hadn't he? Of course God had promised that he would provide the answers to these problems, if only Abraham and his family would be obedient. Over and over God proved his faithfulness to Abraham and his progeny. God is still in the business of being faithful to us today. He is still trying to tell us that nothing is too difficult for him! The problem is that that we could probably find ourselves somewhere in the story. We may belong with Sarah -- snickering and thinking, yeah right! We may be with Lot who, though faced with the angels of God, thinks he has to come up with some solution to his problem -- and he comes up with a pretty stupid one. That's generally how it turns out when we try to do things ourselves. Or, we may be like the son-in-laws who didn't believe in God at all and thought it was just a big joke. However, it is the same God today, for whom nothing is too difficult, that loves us and wants to help us. Are we willing to step into the stream of God's ebb and flow in this world and trust him for the journey? He really will continue to lead us, day in and day out, if we will simply trust him. Nothing is too difficult for him -- even our unbelief.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the ways you have been working and intervening. I do see your hand at work and am so very grateful. May I always continue to trust in you day in and day out -- to your glory. Amen.

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