Turning a “Nobody” into a “Somebody”

God of the Impossible

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36).

Bible-believing Christians automatically give assent to the statement, “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26). But when faced with the necessity of putting that statement to the test in their own lives, most modern-day Christians backtrack, make excuses, or, “cop-out.”

They are not alone. This attitude has been characteristic of believers throughout the ages.

When Jesus saw the crowd of over 5,000 around him and perceived their need for food, he tested his disciples by asking them where they could buy bread for all the people. Philip answered by saying that the little money they had would not be sufficient for everyone to have a little. Andrew said, “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? (John 6:9) Little could they imagine or envision what Jesus was going to do for that crowd.

When God told Abraham that his wife Sarah would have a son, she laughed. “After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? (Genesis 18:12) Yet, later, she believed, and God gave them Isaac.

God called Moses to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses replied, “Who am I?”  (Exodus 3:11)

When the 12 spies returned to report to Moses about the promised land of Canaan, ten of them stated, “We be not able.” Later, they reported seeing the giants in the land, “We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” But Joshua and Caleb said, “We are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30-33)  The ten spies died in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Joshua and Caleb led in the successful conquest of the land.

The Lord told Gideon that he would save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Gideon replied, “Oh, my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Judges 6:15).

Peter was an untrained fisherman transformed into a mighty preacher and an early leader of the church.

Jesus chose the apostles.   Four or five of them were fishermen; one was a tax collector, and for the others, the vocation was unclear or unknown. God took each of them and made them powerhouses for God. The impossible became possible as God empowered them.

God took a drunken baseball player and transformed him into a powerful evangelist named Billy Sunday. God does the impossible.

God took an infidel writer, General Lew Wallace, who was merely going to write an interesting story about the life of Christ. However, his studies convinced him that Jesus was truly the Son of God. He wrote the book called Ben Hur.¹ God does the impossible!

Mel Trotter was a hopeless drunk. One night, his child was ill. He took the boots off his child’s feet and sold them to get money for another drink. When he got home, he found his child dead. This threw him into such despair he started making his way to nearby Lake Michigan to drown himself. On the way, he stumbled into the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. That night, he listened to the testimony of a man who had been delivered from alcohol. He was immediately convicted and trusted Christ as his Savior. The Lord transformed him, and he went on to direct a rescue mission in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After that, the Lord used him to establish 30 rescue missions nationwide. Our God does the impossible.

I read an old saying that goes something like this: God doesn’t ask us about our ability but rather our availability. We then prove our dependability, and God provides us with the capability. “Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4;2) Where God leads, God provides.

Jesus took five loaves and two fishes and fed a multitude.

Abraham and Sarah had no children but trusted God in their old age to provide a son and a nation.

Moses was a murderer who fled to the wilderness to become a shepherd for 40 years. God used him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Joshua and Caleb were loyal followers and servants who became leaders and led the Israelites into the Promised Land.

David was the shepherd boy who became a mighty warrior and then a king.

The apostles were mostly uneducated in the formal sense, but their enemies recognized that they had been with Jesus. They all became mighty men of God.

Paul had excellent credentials and was very well-educated, but he used his qualities to persecute and kill Christians. God had to knock him down to nothing before He could use him mightily. (Philippians 3:4-10)

Paul wrote: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

God wants to use you. Are you born-again? Are you willing to let him take the lead in your life? Are you willing to say, “Where He leads me, I will follow?’  Are you willing to become a “nobody” so God can make you into “somebody” for His glory? Are you willing to present your body as a living sacrifice so God can direct you? (Romans 12:1-2). Are you willing to invest time and effort in training?

Joseph spent 13 years in prison to train for the second-in-command position in Egypt. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness training. Moses mentored Joshua for about 40 years. David spent several years as a fugitive while he trained to become a king. The apostles spent about 3 ½ years in personal training under Jesus Christ. Timothy, Titus, and others trained under Paul. God may call you to train in college or under the mentorship of a mature Christian leader.

Has God given you a calling? “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Trust Him and get started!

¹ (Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, #850).