How should I deal with impossible situations?

Genesis 24:12“O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.”

Judges 4:3Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.

2 Kings 19:1When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the Lord.

Daniel 2:18-19He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

When facing what seems to be an impossible situation, we should go immediately to God in prayer. In times of trouble, our best hope is to go directly to the only One who can do what seems to be impossible.

Psalm 31:24So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Psalm 33:17Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—for all its strength, it cannot save you.

Psalm 39:7So, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

Psalm 44:6I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me.

Psalm 60:12With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.

Psalm 71:5O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.

Proverbs 3:5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Isaiah 31:1What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

Matthew 17:20“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

Mark 9:23“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

Acts 12:12-17When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.

Hebrews 11:11It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.

When faced with what seems to be an impossible situation, we should place our faith and hope in God, trust that God can do the impossible, and that he wants to work in our lives. But even if he chooses not to help in a particular situation, we should believe that his ways are good and that his power will sustain us.

Exodus 18:18, 21-24“You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. . . . But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions.

When receiving wise advice, we should consider that God may be speaking through that person. God often works through his people to accomplish what seems to be impossible.

1 Chronicles 28:20David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.”

Zechariah 8:6, 13“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. . . . Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!”

Revelation 3:8“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.”

In what seems to be an impossible situation or task, we should begin by doing what we can to the best of our abilities, putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that we are not alone. God promises he won’t abandon us but will help us in our impossible situations. If he wants a task done, he will enable us to do it.

Genesis 41:16“It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

Daniel 2:11, 27-28“The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” . . . Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.”

Matthew 19:26Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Only God can do the impossible, but he often allows us to be involved in the process. We should stay open and ready to be used to accomplish whatever God has in mind.

1 Samuel 17:32-51“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David . . . picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. Goliath . . . cursed David by the names of his gods. “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. . . . This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.

2 Chronicles 32:20-22King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to God in heaven. And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army with all its commanders and officers. . . . So there was peace throughout the land.

Esther 6:10-12“Excellent!” the king said to Haman. “Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!” So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, placed him on the king’s own horse, and led him through the city square, shouting, “This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!” Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated.

Isaiah 37:14-20After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. . . . Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God. . . . Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Daniel 2:11, 27-28“The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” . . . Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.”

John 6:5-11Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.

In each of these situations, God’s people had to deal with seemingly impossible situations. In each situation we see open communication with God by acknowledging the impossible, and obedience to God’s response, whether it meant waiting or moving forward. God often uses what he has already given us to accomplish the impossible, for example, a sling shot, a trained army, an ability to discern dreams, or five loaves and two fish.