For faithful Christ followers, is a roller coaster of emotions. Jesus arrived in Jerusalem to overwhelming acclaim, crowds shouting praises and exalting Him as he fulfilled prophecy by riding into town on a humble donkey. In just a matter of days, Jesus would be rejected and scorned, dragged to a sham trial, beaten, tortured and brutally killed in public. He was mocked, despised and abandoned by many in His inner circle. But thats just the beginning of the real storyâ¦
We must never forget that Jesus knew every single detail about what would happen to Him, and yet He willingly chose to come to us. He took on our frailties â experiencing grief, temptation and death. He did not have to do any of those things, but because He did we have the greatest gift imaginable: the promise of eternal life with God.Â
Whatever you may be walking through this week, God is keenly aware and He promises never to leave His children. The Bible is full of men and women who experienced broken families, devastating diagnoses, financial ruin, war, famine â you name it! By revisiting their lives, we can see how God was weaving together long-term good in some of the darkest valleys. Thats the truth at the heart of Jesus earthly story too.
I have written about many of these encouraging over the last several years, and my new book, “Nothing Is Impossible with God,” specifically highlights those who faced enormous obstacles. Beginning with Gideon, we meet a frightened man whom God addresses as a “mighty warrior.” The English translation of Gideons response is literally “pardon me.”
I think many of us would react the same way if God showed up and told us we were going to charge into a battle against a powerful oppressor with none of the weapons or advantages our human minds would logically deem necessary! But isnt that what He does with us over and over again on our spiritual journey â asks us to trust that He has a plan where we can see no way?
In my new book, “Nothing Is Impossible with God,” I take a deep dive into people from the pages of the Bible who encountered stumbling blocks that would have stopped most of us in our tracks.
Sometimes it was outsiders openly scheming against them. If youve experienced that, youll love Nehemiahs story. Rather than fold, he trusted God to handle the crafty, sarcastic frenemies trying to undermine him. He prayed, he prepared and he persevered. You can, too!
Sometimes its our own self-doubt that throws us off track. Moses was overwhelmed by the assignment he was given, even arguing with the God of the Universe about how he wasnt the guy for the job. I may be quick to judge with thousands of years of hindsight, but Ive certainly done the same!
What about Jonah, who ran in the opposite direction of what God asked him to do? As we walk their journeys alongside them, we see Gideon, Moses and Jonah all grow in their faith and obedience. What was impossible by human standards was accomplished through Gods power and guidance.
In the pages of Scripture, we also meet men and women who were faithful from the start. Noah was asked to build a structure that made zero sense, a gigantic boat with no system to control it, in order to survive a coming flood â and yet rain had never fallen on the earths surface. He simply got to work.
Joshua stood against the groupthink that told the Israelites there was no way they could face an enemy the Lord had guaranteed they would overcome. We watch Daniels courage and godly commitment for decades, never wavering in a culture that made his faith a criminal offense â punishable by death!
I think its fair to say that Peter represents a combination of these various challenges. He w
