Believing God for the Impossible

[Sue J Love]

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“’Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,’ (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25 ESV)

So, an angel approached Mary and told her that she was going to conceive in her womb a son whom she was to call Jesus. And he would be great and would be called the Son of the Most High (God), and of his kingdom there would be no end. She did not doubt the messenger of God, though. She only asked how this was going to happen, since she was a virgin. So the angel told her that the child would be conceived of the Holy Spirit and that her child would be called holy – the Son of God. “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (see Luke 1:26-37 ESV)

“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.’” (Luke 1:38 ESV)

That took enormous faith on the part of Mary to believe the angel and to believe that, although she was a virgin, that she was going to have a baby of the Holy Spirit of God. It took much courage on her part, too, to accept this assignment from the Lord, fully knowing that she could be put to death, for she would certainly be regarded as an adulterous woman. At the least, Joseph would certainly divorce her and she would be rejected by her people as a wanton woman. But she did not hesitate in accepting this call of God on her life, but she willingly submitted to God’s will and purpose for her life.

So, next was Joseph. For when he learned of her pregnancy, he decided not to put her to shame but to divorce her quietly. But then an angel of the Lord visited him in a dream, and the angel told Joseph what was actually taking place, and he instructed Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife. And, when Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took Mary to be his wife, but he did not have relations with her until after she had given birth to Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.

And this took enormous faith on the part of Joseph to believe an angel who he saw in a dream and to believe that his wife was pregnant of the Holy Spirit, for who had ever heard of such a thing as this before then? It took much courage on his part, too, for the people certainly were aware by now or soon would become aware that Mary was pregnant with child before her and Joseph had officially consummated their marriage relationship. I am most certain that all sorts of rumors and gossip was flying everywhere in every direction, and they both probably faced much rejection.

But it wasn’t just the risk of rejection that was involved here. They both had to step out in faith in a way that is beyond human comprehension and to believe God for the impossible. They had to believe that God speaks through dreams and visions and visitations of angels, and then they had to believe it was God’s voice speaking to them, and then they had to be willing to step out in faith and act on what they believed was the voice of God leading them in the way in which he would have them to go. And all of us need that kind of faith in the Lord today, too, believing him however he speaks to us.

But let me now add a word of caution here. Well, let me share first a Scripture verse to go along with this word of caution:

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 ESV)

Please be aware here that God has given us the Holy Spirit to indwell the hearts and lives of his followers, and he has given us his Spirit to teach us, to counsel us, to guide us, to encourage us, and to warn us, too. So, the Lord doesn’t speak only through the written word but also through his Spirit living within us. But we must test the voices that we hear in our inner being against the teachings of the Scriptures, for God is not going to lead us to do something that is immoral, indecent, and disobedient to the Lord. But God is not going to call us all to “socially and worldly acceptable” ministries, either.

In all practical application of these passages of Scripture to our lives today, I would suggest here that we must all be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives, even if he asks of us something that to us seems impossible or that does not fit in with the “norms” of society, even in the “Christian” culture of today. Be willing to hear the Spirit’s voice speaking to you leading you to do what the Lord wants you to do even if it is a step of absolute faith and obedience against what may seem logical to most humans. But test everything in prayer against the Scriptures (in context) to be sure it’s God.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown
Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

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