Psalm 111:6 – “Impossibleness”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of this verse:

⁶The power of His works He declares to His people;

   to give to them [the] inheritance of nations.

As with every other verse in this Psalm, the one before us is on the one hand a simple statement of truth while on the other hand infinitely profound.

The Lord certainly showed His power to the people of Israel by giving to them the land of Canaan. They were no doubt very aware that a bunch of former slaves could not possibly displace entire nations of settled warrior peoples. In our familiarity with that story, I fear we lose our sense of the utter absurdity of it all. And yet it did happen. It came to pass. They blew their horns and Jericho’s walls crumbed before them.

There are several thoughts which occur to me. I will try to record the ones that strike me the most.

First of all, the verse says that the Lord’s power is declared “to His people.” What happened to Israel still happens today. Other people may observe what happens in our lives and offer a thousand different explanations. But a true believer knows in their heart, whatever it was, it was impossible. A true believer of course is aware that anyone can get lucky and sink a basketball from full-court. But when the Lord does it for us, He allows us to see just how impossible it was or He might do several impossible things in a row or at the same time to the point where to us there is no question it was Him. It was just simply impossible. It was simply impossible that Israel should conquer Canaan and today the Lord fills our lives with the impossible as well – all to show to His people the power of His works.

I find Him doing such things almost constantly in my own life and I’m guessing that is true of anyone else who loves Him. I think I mentioned in an earlier blog on this Psalm that much of my life just seems impossible; and yet day after day after day He comes through and brings about those impossible things. He did it for Israel and for David and for Gideon and so many others and He’s still doing it today. He is showing His people the power of His works by constantly bringing about that which they are all too aware was simply impossible.

Along with that, something else to note is how Israel responded to the impossible task the Lord put in front of them. At the border of Canaan, looking full into the face of the utterly impossible, they completely lost it and said, “…the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large … we can’t attack those people, they are stronger than we are … We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them … If only we had died in Egypt! … Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?” (Numb 13:28-14:3).

First of all, just note that in fact they could see the challenge before them was impossible. That is precisely why they’re freaked out. “We can’t attack those people, they are stronger than we are!” It is impossible and they know it! Second of all, even in that statement we can see the problem. “We can’t attack those people, they are stronger than we are!” Who’s being left out of this equation? The Lord, of course. The One for whom “nothing shall be impossible!” And thirdly, who can’t see their own face in this picture? They are me. I am them. That is precisely how I respond to the impossibilities in my life. Freak out.

Hmmmmm. My God is the God of the Impossible. He likes to “declare the power of His works to His people” by making the impossible happen. I can see that. He’s been doing exactly that my whole life. As I sit here pondering, it strikes me that I would be totally good with it if I could sit off to the side and just watch it happen, like sitting in my armchair watching the Olympics. Go, God! You can do it! You’re awesome! I think my problem is that He involves me in it. He won’t usually let me sit in the stands and watch. He pulls me out on the field, hands me a bat, and says, “Play ball!” Unfortunately for me, all the other players are thirty feet tall and my bat is a toothpick. When I say, “But Lord! I can’t do this! This is impossible!” He just smiles and nudges me up to the plate. Then usually after three balls, two strikes, and about twelve rain delays, I suddenly realize I just hit a home run (not sure how or when it happened) and I’m rounding the bases. As I do so, I am always keenly aware it wasn’t me. It was Him. He did the impossible. Again. In my life. ^“The power of His works He declares to His people …” by doing the impossible in their life.

I want Him to do the impossible in my life. I am surrounded by the impossible. There are so many things I wish could happen, so many things I even think He wants to happen, but I don’t see how it’s possible. I certainly don’t see anything I could do to make them happen. “We can’t attack those people, they are stronger than we are!” I’m not smart enough. I don’t have the energy. Nobody listens to me anyway. I don’t have the time or the money. I don’t have a clue. I’m just one man. Hmmmm. What’s missing from all those statements? The Lord, of course. The God of the Impossible.

Well. So I pray for help and go out into my impossible world. God help me to actually enjoy all the impossibleness and actually know it’s all there so You can use me and amaze me and show me (and Your people) Your greatness. Thank you for letting me be a part of what You’re doing. Help me be a more willing part. Soli Deo Gloria.