Hudson Taylor said it right. “There are three stages in the work of God: impossible, difficult, done.”
Have you experienced this in your Christian journey?
Impossible. God leads you to desire and to pray for something so impossible, you write it down on a secret prayer list, because maybe someone would call you crazy for asking. God doesn’t. He told an elderly couple they would have a son. He told a virgin the same, followed by the words, “With God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
In both cases, the impossible happened because it was in God’s plan for it to be so. Ask Lazarus’ sisters, Abraham’s wife, Moses at the end of his life.
God loves our impossible prayers. He loves to see our faith implore Him to do what we know could never be done apart from His intervening hand.
Difficult. This middle stage in God’s working is where many of us give up. A ray of hope glimmers, but He has yet to accomplish our request. It’s still hard, but it no longer seems so impossible. He is working, and we see it. But we can’t see how the difficult thing will ever be considered done.
Maybe this is how Jairus felt when he finally found Jesus. His need was no longer impossible. But, due to a delaying miracle, the difficult went back to the impossible. But what did Jesus tell this man whose faith began to plummet with his circumstances? “Do not be afraid; only believe” (Luke 8:50).
Keep believing, Jesus told this man who was in the midst of the most impossible, difficult situation of his life. And Jairus saw it done.
Done. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). The long waiting through the three stages of God’s working challenges us to hold on to faith in who we believe God to be and how faithful we believe Him to be to His promises.
Do you remember what He said to elderly Sarah who laughed to be told she would give birth to a son? “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time, I will. . .” (Genesis 18:14).
Impossible? Yes.
Difficult? For sure.
Done? God gave this old woman the child He had promised.
I don’t know what you’re praying for or what God’s will in that situation will ever be?
But one thing you and I can know for sure is this.
He can: “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh.
Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27
By Bethany Hayes
Used by Permission
Further Reading
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