Ever been struggling with something, or waiting for something to happen, and someone quotes the verse ‘all things are possible with God’? While it can be a great encouragement to us, it’s important to add some context, otherwise we can end up feeling disappointed and disillusioned if the things we’re hoping and praying for don’t happen. Firstly, we need to remember that it says ‘all things are possible’, not ‘all things will happen’. Just because something is possible, it doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for us. While God might be able to change our situation or give us the thing we’re praying for, He might not. That’s not because He’s trying to assert authority over us or because He doesn’t love us. It’s because He knows what’s best for us and can see the bigger picture. Secondly, this verse is found in a conversation about being saved by God. A rich young man came to Jesus and asked Him how he could have eternal life. Jesus taught the people that entering God’s kingdom was challenging. He said, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God’ (Mark 10:24 NIV). The disciples exclaimed: ‘Who then can be saved?’ (v.26 NIV). That’s when Jesus said that all things are possible with God. We can’t earn our salvation. We will never be good enough to enter God’s kingdom. But because of Jesus, we can have eternal life. He’s made it possible for us to enter the kingdom. So while it’s true that ‘all things are possible with God,’ let’s remember the context around this verse, thank Jesus for what He’s done, and be grateful that God wants the best for us. 

What Now?

Read Jesus’ prayer in Mark 14:32-36. Then surrender your hopes and ideas to God, and ask that His will would be done in your life.