Matthew 19:23-26 KJV
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
All Things Are Possible, Within God's Will
The truth of this lesson is “with God, all things are possible.”
In fact, Jesus is stressing that what we humans find to be impossible, is possible with God, the master and creator, who is omnipotent and sovereign over all things.
A simple yet profound truth regarding the creator and master of all things. In that regard, it is inherently true and beyond doubt.
Now to those who might immediately say “No way, everything doesn’t always work out like we want”, I will tell you that I agree. Many things happen in our earthly life that are disappointing and that we simply don’t like or want.
Many people have lost jobs that they truly loved. Many have not been hired to jobs that they truly wanted. So, they might well say “sure, I just saw how all things are possible with God.” But, if one has trust and “believes” as Jesus said in Mark 9:23, they often see a new door opening for them after the prior door closed. They soon realize that something better was coming their way unbeknownst to them and that God is in total control.
God never promised us that we won’t have pain and disappointments that seem to linger. God certainly never promised us that we won’t face physical death at God’s appointed time.
But we have the assurance from God that He is always with us and will never forsake us no matter what our circumstance or trial may be. And through Him all things truly are possible.
The deeper part of this lesson is that sometimes we have to lose, to win.
Jesus Had to Lose, to Win
The most obvious example of this is Jesus Christ. He had to lose, to win.
He had to die as the sacrificial "Lamb of God", to be victorious for us.
Mark 14:35-36 KJV
35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Jesus was God incarnate, but also human flesh. He knew what He had to do, but there was still fear.
I’m sure He has seen some Roman crucifixions as He ministered all over the land and of course knew what awaited Him.
Jesus fell to his face and prayed, “Abba Father, all things are possible with You.” He then prayed for God to "take away this cup from me." Jesus knew that His crucifixion was at hand and His “human nature” cried out for help.
He then prayed “but not My will, but Thine be done.”
A gospel lyric says it very well. Jesus had to lose to win. God had to lose in order to win and usher in His kingdom.
We Too, Often Must Lose to Win
Unfortunately, when everything is going perfect and according to plans in our life, we often don’t give praise to God. Moreso, we don’t depend on Him. In other words, we often take our mountain tops for granted.
But when we are not on the proverbial mountain top, we will cry out to God asking for His help.
We too, often have to “lose” to win.
Contrary to common thought, life’s trials and valleys are in essence the most important parts of the believer’s life.
It is through these that we get tested and tried, and we learn the lessons that God has for us. We also learn to strengthen our faith and trust.
During these times when we might feel like we are “losing”, God is drawing us closer to Him and as we fully surrender, we commune with Him like never before.
In closing, with men some things are possible but with God ALL things are possible.
We won’t have everything go our way in life and there will certainly be valleys and trials. We won’t get everything we ask God for, unless they are all “in His will.” But we can rest assured that with God all things are possible, and He will see us through the darkest moments we face, even the valley of the shadow of death.
1 John 5:14 KJV
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Through our trials when we might feel like we are losing, let us realize that through Christ our Lord, we too will always win.
Through our trials, like Jesus did, let us pray that His will be done in our lives.
Let us live our lives knowing the power and majesty of God, that He is in total control of all things, that all things are possible through Him.
RVH