Verse: Matthew 19:23-30
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Devotion
There’s a lot in here, but one verse really sticks out to me: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” That is GOOD news isn’t it? As you are reading this text that is like getting to a cliff hanger and finding out it all works out in the end. That verse is a HUGE sigh of relief. And it’s also incredible! It’s amazing. It’s unreal! What we could never do, God in his love and power does for us? Really??
Let’s just savor that for a bit.
For sure he is talking about those with wealth (which arguably is all of us living in America compared to a lot of the world right now) but also isn’t he talking about all of us? I mean rich or poor, who can save themselves? No one! This is all about Jesus.
And this is great news for our lives to. What feels impossible in your life today? I’m not saying it’s a guarantee, but with God all things are possible! This is in many ways the beginning of our hope. We know that we worship, serve, and pray to a God for whom all things are possible.
When we face what feel like impossible situations, we can lean back into a God for whom impossible isn’t an insurmountable obstacle. In fact you could argue that he relishes in overcoming the impossible, showing his glory, helping other people see him, and proving yet again his love for us!
Now, you have to be careful with this verse. It doesn’t say, “God makes the impossible possible every time you ask him.” I fear that some believers have co-opted this verse in that way, and it has served to really discourage them in the end. So we hold this in tension – that God can do the impossible – but he isn’t a genie we command when we want.
This is why our hope is placed in him, and not in the outcomes we seek. Our hope is in his character and his wisdom. With God all things are possible, and we trust his wisdom when to make that a reality in our lives.
Author: Christian Dunn
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