As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:
20But the things I am writing to you, behold that before God I am not lying. 21Afterwards I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22but I was being an unknown one by face to the churches of Judea [which are] in Christ, 23but they were hearing only that the one once persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once was destroying, 24and they were glorifying God in me.
Once again, Paul is in the middle of a rather protracted defense of his ministry. However, as I have said before, I have no problem simply observing the man himself, what he does, what he says, what he believes, and learning from him. The Bible is in fact a book of truth propositions but I believe we can say it is above all else a book of discipleship. Its very purpose is that we might think God’s thoughts and be like Him. Our Great Commission is to “Be fruitful and multiply,” to reproduce ourselves and that not only in child-bearing but in every possible way. From one perspective, the very essence of human existence is reproduction. Hence we can read the Bible not only to unlock its propositions of truth but also to simply observe the people involved and to learn ourselves as we observe them. He who walks with the wise, will be wise.
Here’s what strikes me most as I read Paul’s words: Our God is in fact the God of the impossible.
Before I explain, let me say I definitely need this reminder and I rather suspect everyone else does too. Our God is the God of the impossible. David prayed,
Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need;
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise Your name. (Psalm 142:6,7).
David was a very wealthy, powerful king who had enjoyed miraculous deliverances from the Lord. Yet even he found himself living in a world beyond himself. Even he could be in “desperate need,” could find himself facing threats “too strong for me,” and feeling that his troubles were like a “prison.”
We live in a world beset by the impossible.
I’m not just “in need.” I’m in “desperate need.”
I am not just facing difficult issues. No, they’re not just difficult, they’re “too strong for me.”
And I’m not sitting here looking at some difficult path for how I can work my way out of all this. If the path was only difficult, I could handle that. No, it’s not just difficult, I’m “in prison.” I see no way out. In so many ways, I can look out through the barred window; I can see all the places I want to go, all the things I want to do, all the things I should do, all the things I wish I could somehow make different. But I find myself utterly unable to even contribute toward those changes. I doubt that I’m unique. I am reasonably sure that anyone reading this feels exactly the same way.
So what do we all do? Try harder? I already tried hard. I am trying hard. That’s the problem. It’s simply not enough. I’m tired. I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. I could offer a long list of my own personal troubles. But then add to that our national scene. The bozo’s in Washington are systematically destroying my beloved country. I seriously don’t know if there is any hope. I fear it has simply gone too far. What can I do? I already voted. I already wrote my congressman. Basically, it is all beyond me. Their gross incompetence (and I fear malicious intent in certain very high offices) are “too strong for me.” They leave my world fearful and in “desperate need.” I wish I could charter a Mayflower and sail to the new world, but I cannot. I’m imprisoned in their stupidity.
Gack. I’d better move on before I go look for a 7th floor window somewhere.
What do we need? I suggest the only real answer is a God of the impossible.
And this is the good news we all need: The God of the Bible, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is no other than the God of the impossible.
Back to our passage, Saul of Tarsus was not only a mean, cruel man. He was a mean, cruel man with power. He said, “On the authority of the chief priests, I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them” (Acts 26:10). He says, “I was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth … in my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.” (Acts 26:9-11). Those early Christians lived like hunted animals while Saul “breathed out threatenings and murder” (Acts 9:1) against them.
What would you think in that situation? What if I suggested you pray for the man, that God would change his heart? I can imagine in fact praying exactly that prayer, yet realizing in my heart what I was asking for was a miracle. It’s not likely to happen, though I pray and pray and beg God for deliverance.
But it did happen.
The impossible happened.
“… the one once persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once was destroying, …”
“ … and they were glorifying God in me.”
Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle.
That’s impossible.
Yup.
Our God is the God of the impossible.
We “ought always to pray and not give up.”
“… strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees …”
Get our gaze once again “fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.”
“Is anything too hard for Me?”
“O ye of little faith.”
In my life and I hope in yours, may we all pray together, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph 3:20,21).
Let us today cast our hearts and our fates on our God of the impossible. May He give us the grace that whether threatened or not, whether overwhelmed or not, we should genuinely love everyone He brings in our life, that we should sincerely try to be faithful to all that we should be. May we in fact see Him today work the impossible on our behalf, and where He in His wisdom chooses not to, may He give us the faith to keep on.
Our God is the God of the impossible.
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